Real Madrid City hosted the tribute ceremony in honour of Marcelo, a true club legend who leaves the club after lifting 25 trophies (a club record), making 546 appearances and scoring 38 goals. On June 12, Real Madrid wrote an official post as follows: “Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that tomorrow, Monday 13 June, at 1pm (CET), there will be an institutional farewell and tribute ceremony for our captain Marcelo at Real Madrid City, which will be presided over by club president Florentino Pérez. After this event, Marcelo will address the media in the press room at Real Madrid City”.
On June 13, the ceremony began with the screening of an emotional video with images of the captain and followed with a few words from Florentino Pérez. The club president, who awarded Marcelo with Real Madrid's gold and diamond insignia, had the following to say: "Today is an emotional day for all madridistas. It is a time of profound gratitude. Here at Real Madrid, we want to pay a heartfelt tribute to our great captain. A homage to the young man who became a hero at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. A tribute to the player who has become one of our all-time legends. We are talking about the player who has won the most trophies in Real Madrid's history. Because this is Marcelo".
“We madridistas are indebted to you for dedicating your heart and soul to every game. For that Brazilian talent and quality that have made you a unique player. For the way you are on the pitch and also in life. Your fantasy and your happiness were always crucial for the team in achieving all its great success”, he added.
A captain's work: “You know perfectly well that apart from the trophies and the successes we have achieved, the values of Real Madrid, through which we have accomplished all that we are, are always present. These values were passed on to you when you first arrived as an 18-year-old lad. The same values that you have transmitted over the years and that you will continue to convey to ensure that this universal feeling of madridismo continues to grow".
“I wish you all the best both for you and for all your loved ones. You know that Real Madrid is and always will be your home. This is the place where you experienced so many magical and unforgettable moments, the place where you developed as a player and as a person, and where your greatest dreams came true”, he concluded.
Marcelo: “I'd like to thank the club, my teammates, who I've been lucky enough to play with during all these years, the coaches I've had, the kitmen, who are like family to me, the people who work in the residence, the security staff, those who work behind the scenes and do the dirty work. We just play football, but for us to do it well and have clean clothes there is a lot of work behind it and I want to thank the best club in the world for allowing us to enjoy this. We do what we love and we 've got everything we need to be able to enjoy it. I've made history at the best club in the world and I want to thank everyone who forms part of it”.
He continued: “I'd also like to thank my wife, who's been by my side since I started my career as a footballer and has given me two beautiful children. We've built a family together and I am what I am today and have the strength I have today, probably because of you, Clarice”.
Following Raúl’s footsteps: “When I left Brazil I set my sights on playing for a big European team and I signed for Madrid at the age of 18. It's been a tremendous adventure. Inside I thought I could reach the top and today I walk out of here as the player with the most trophies in the history of the best club in the world. Raúl, who I call capi (captain), was so kind to me when I arrived. You taught me so much as captain and when my son was born, you gave us a basket full of things. I'll never forget that. I saw you as a captain and an example and I wanted to follow that. I can leave here grateful to you for that”.
Memories: “Today is a day for joy. We're in tears because we've got a lot of emotions and memories. I'm really happy, I'm leaving with my head held high. My family feels proud of me, I'm lucky. I've been lucky to have been supported by people who've been able to help me go so far. Thank you very much to everyone”.
“This isn't a goodbye, I don't feel like I'm leaving Madrid. If one day I come back one and ask for a ticket and I can't (get one), you're going to have a problem. When I said at the Bernabéu that we can rest assured about the future of Madrid, it's because it's very promising, as it's always been, and I also include my son, who's in the youth team. This is a day for joy, not sadness. I arrived as a boy and I'm leaving as a man”.
Gold and diamond insignia: The event was also attended by members of the board of directors, manager Carlo Ancelotti and teammates like Carvajal and Asensio. Club president Florentino Pérez presented Marcelo with the Real Madrid gold and diamond insignia and the event was rounded off with a family photo of the 25 trophies that the Brazilian has lifted during his spell at the club.
Marcelo also addressed the media at the press conference held after the tribute and farewell ceremony that took place at Real Madrid City: “I don't think much about the future, I always live in the moment. It's hard to leave the club of your life after so much joy, suffering, training, pain, giving your all for the club. Putting on this shirt is a beautiful and powerful thing. The future doesn't scare me because history's already been written, I had to do this. I'm pleased with myself and my family’s proud of me too. There's no uncertainty".
“Today is my happiest day here because I've done everything I set out to do and I leave here feeling happy. I leave behind a legacy for the youngsters. Watching Vini Jr, Rodrygo, Valverde, the youngsters, playing is absolutely priceless. Leaving here and being seen as the person I am is the most powerful thing for me”.
He continued: “When I stop playing I'd like to get the chance to return to Real Madrid because of the way I try to treat everyone the same. I don't think there'll be a problem coming back, although I don't feel like I'm really leaving. I haven't thought about what I'm going to miss because you can't miss something you have”.
Retirement: “I haven't thought about retiring, I think I can continue to play and play well. I don't think it would be a problem to play against Madrid because of the fondness I have for them. If I have to do it one day, I'm very professional and Madrid showed me how to be that way. I'm ready for anything that might come my way”.
Coaches: “After a period of time playing for such a big club as Madrid, I've been lucky enough to play loads of games and have a good career. I haven't had many injuries and I've encountered special coaches and great teammates. Each coach has his own philosophy and each one offers something different".
Describing his mark on history: “I don't think I can possibly describe this because I've always lived in the moment, and not thought beyond that. Here I've been given the opportunity to win enormous things, to play in tournaments on magical nights at the Bernabéu. I can only be grateful for all these years that I have experienced a great life, a happy life, and a smile on my face. I've been lucky enough not to have many injuries, to do some good moves and score the odd goal. You can have talent and be hard-working, but if you're not lucky, it's tough”.
Legacy: “All I leave behind here is humility and awareness of where you are, which is so important. Now I've been talking to my relatives about the five Champions League trophies I've won. I played the first four finals but not the last one. And this was the final where I felt most important because I had a five-minute chat with Rodrygo on the bench, and also with Militão, and I didn't do that in the other four finals. It's great to play, to provide assists and score goals, but for me the most beautiful thing was having the chat with the youngsters, hugging them when there were three minutes left on the clock, and that's the legacy I'd like to leave behind. I want the youngsters to realise that anything’s possible”.
Departing Madrid: “I don't feel like a legend. I've never considered myself one, everyone can think what they want. I feel like a player who wants to achieve goals and win things. As for the length of the contract, there's no issue with leaving a team. The world isn't ending now, I'm not going to stop living because I'm leaving Real Madrid. I've learnt a lot of beautiful things in life away from football. We've decided this together and today's a day for joy. I'll always be with Madrid, wherever I go I'll be just another fan. I couldn't be at Madrid without making a contribution and I wanted to leave via the front door, looking at everyone's faces and greeting them”.
"This season I felt a huge weight and responsibility. At times I got really angry with Ancelotti and argued with him, but the next day we hugged. This season I realised that you don't need to play to be important, you need to be part of a team and understand the coach. I’ve learnt a lot from everyone”.
His grandfather Pedro: “My grandfather's played a massive part in everything I've achieved to date. He always gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted and that helped me grow up and mature at an earlier age. I arrived at Madrid when I was 18, my wife was 17, and I used to think I was mature, but today I look at the kids of that age and I see that I wasn't. I've done what I had to do and I feel relaxed”.
The fans: “The affection I've received from the fans is something that will forever remain in my heart. They've given me great joy. One day, they sung happy birthday to me and I've never seen that before at a football stadium. Many people have asked me to stay on and that's very nice of them. I'm delighted that I'm a popular figure, not only as a player but also as a human being, which is the most important thing for me”.
A future in football management: “I don't think that I've got what it takes to become a coach. I can't see me doing that. There are other things that I'm better at. To be honest, I've never understood tactics and have just enjoyed playing football. I don't have the same desire to become a coach as I did to become a player.”
First day at Madrid: "It was all very strange, I had only ever watched Madrid on the television. I was really wowed by the Santiago Bernabéu. I wasn't aware of what was going on the first day, but today has been the best day of my life because I head away from here and leave a legacy behind.”
Academy and future: "I'm a big fan of the academy. I'm aware of how they look after the young players here, how they train and I know virtually everything about how the academy set-up works. I also know how the first team works and that when the young players are promoted to the first team it's a massive sete-up. The future is promising for us”.
His son Enzo: "When I watch him play, I turn into a different person. It's crazy. I can't put it into words. Watching him compete for this club is the greatest thing I've experienced as a father”.
Who do you want to exceed your trophy haul? “For somebody to beat me would be an honour and give me pride and joy. I leave here feeling happy and with many trophies and whoever beats my trophy haul will also leave here in great shape. I'll be really happy regardless of whoever it is”.
Comparison with Roberto Carlos: "Roberto was my idol. When you join such a great club, there are always great players in every position. It was difficult for me because you, the press, were saying that Roberto’s substitute was now here, but I never wanted to be his substitute. I always wanted to write my own story as Marcelo. I believe that there has never been a wing-back like him in the history of the game. My name is Marcelo and I'm still writing my own story”.
Decision not to stay: “We had a meeting in which we all had our say and we came to a joint decision that the best thing was for me to leave now. It's an emotional decision because it's not easy to leave the club you've been at your whole life, but things gradually got easier and there was a realisation that it was actually happening”.
Emilio Butragueño, Real Madrid's Director of Institutional Relations, accompanied Marcelo at the press conference and had the following to say: “My dear friend Marcelo, thank you so much for everything you've given to all of us madridistas. It's been an honour to witness your talent and sacrifice to enrich this shirt, the shirt of the club of your life. You're one of the great legends of Real Madrid, the player who has won the most trophies in the club's history. We'd like to wish you all the best and you know that this is and always will be your home”.
Marcelo also received a many great messages from fellow Madridistas, Legends and Friends. Having played alongside iconic Real Madrid figures, messages from stars like them have made Marcelo's farewell all the more emotional.
After 16 seasons at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Marcelo received farewell messages from a number of generations of Real Madrid players, including Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair were clinical down the left flank in some of the most successful years in the club's history, and the current Manchester United ace sent an emotional note to Marcelo. He said: "More than a teammate, a brother that football gave me. On and off the pitch, one of the greatest stars with whom I had the pleasure of sharing a dressing room. Go for it all in this new adventure, Marcelo!", CR7 posted.
Other messages included former team-mates and captains, with Marcelo having donned the armband for his final season at the club.
"You arrived as a child. How many times I shouted "Marcelooooo, come back!" Thank you for being such a legend. A big hug my friend and all the best for the future," Iker Casillas shared on social media.
His compatriots from Brazil also had their say, including those who will lead the next generation, as well as other current team-mates. "Marcelo! Thanks for everything! Legend as the player with the most titles at the best club in the world. It was a pleasure to play and learn from you. Monster inside and outside. Eternal 12", Vincius Junior said.
"I can say that I have played with the best left-back of all time," Toni Kroos posted.
Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has paid tribute to former teammate Marcelo after it was announced the Brazilian will leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Following confirmation of the left-back's departure, Ramos took to social media to heap praise on the 34-year-old. The former Real Madrid captain posted: "Brother, you say goodbye today, but your legacy is eternal. Congratulations on achieving the impossible."
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