Why did Fluminense terminate Marcelo’s contract?

Last year, Marcelo won the Rio de Janeiro state championship and the Copa Libertadores titles with Fluminense, his first professional club before he joined Real Madrid at the end of 2006 at age 18.

File image of Marcelo. | Photo Credit: AFP

Former Real Madrid great Marcelo had his contract at boyhood club Fluminense terminated two months early on Saturday, one day after the defender’s touchline spat with coach Mano Menezes.

The Brazilian club said in a statement that the decision was by mutual agreement.

“The institutional and emotional bonds between Fluminense and Marcelo remain untouched,” Fluminense said.

Marcelo did not comment.

Last year, Marcelo won the Rio de Janeiro state championship and the Copa Libertadores titles with Fluminense, his first professional club before he joined Real Madrid at the end of 2006 at age 18. He won five Champions Leagues and six La Ligas at Madrid.

Menezes was going to use the 36-year-old Marcelo as a substitute in the final minutes of Fluminense’s clash against Gremio in a Brazilian league match. The defender appeared to dispute the coach’s instructions, who decided to field striker John Kennedy instead.

Fluminense led 2-1 at the time, but Gremio scored from the spot shortly before the final whistle to equalize at the Maracana Stadium.

“I was going to bring Marcelo in at that time, but I heard one thing that I did not like and I changed my mind,” Menezes said at a press conference. “He wasn’t going in to solve any problem for us, he was stepping in to let us keep what we had (on the scoreboard). It was just two, three minutes to the end.”

Fluminense is 12th in the Brazilian league after 32 matches.