Following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid in 2009, the club became a force to be reckoned with, particularly in Europe as they dominated the Champions League. The Portuguese sensation spent just under a decade with Los Blancos and enjoyed tremendous success with them.
He wasn't the only star pivotal to their success throughout the 2010s, though. The likes of Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo were all also vital to the team as they ran rampant in Europe. Things could have gone very differently, however, as one of those stars almost quit the Santiago Bernabeu when they found out Ronaldo was going to be joining the club from Manchester United and that star was the Brazilian, Marcelo.
Having joined Madrid in 2006 after bursting onto the scene at Fluminense, Marcelo spent 16 years with the club and became one of the best full-backs on the planet in the process. He almost quit just three years into his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, though, and explained why he considered leaving because of Ronaldo's pending arrival.
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Marcelo Thought About Leaving Real Madrid When Ronaldo Signed
It boiled down to a conflict they'd had in the past
Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo
Considering all they achieved together, Ronaldo and Marcelo worked wonders alongside one another and you'd be forgiven for expecting their relationship to be solid. That was ultimately the case, but initially, they weren't on the same page and things had actually gotten heated between them during an international match between Portugal and Brazil. The pair were actually only on the pitch at the same time for seven minutes of the game, which the South American side won 6-2. That was enough time for them to clash, though. Speaking on La Revuelta, via quotes shared by the Mirror, the former full-back explained all and said:
"My relationship with Cristiano started with a fight. I kicked him; he was very fast. He passed by, elbowed me, and I kicked him, and he grabbed me by the neck. I tried as well, but he was very tall."
The incident led to Marcelo being substituted not long after and he hadn't forgotten about it when he found out Ronaldo was set to join him at Madrid. With the clash still fresh in his mind, the Brazilian thought about a Los Blancos exit when the news came through. He said: "I received the message that Madrid was going to sign him in two months. And I thought, blimey, I'm leaving."
Madrid fans will be thrilled that he ended up sticking around and the pair made magic together on the pitch. Ronaldo even went on to name Marcelona as one of his greatest ever teammates. That didn't prevent the pair from clashing every once in a while in training, though. "We've grabbed each other by the neck in training many times; it's normal," Marcelo said.