I wanted to hit him — Real Madrid legend reveals what he truly feels about Lionel Messi
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L-R Lionel Messi Barcelona, Marcelo Real, MARCH 1, 2020 - Football Soccer : Spanish La Liga Santander match between Real Madrid CF 2-0 FC Barcelona, Barca at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. || Image credit: Imago

I wanted to hit him — Real Madrid legend reveals what he truly feels about Lionel Messi

Faruq Ibrahim 18:37 - 04.03.2025

Former Real Madrid defender Marcelo spoke about Lionel Messi in a recent interview.

Legendary Real Madrid defender Marcelo sang the praises of Lionel Messi in a recent interview, reminiscing about the times he squared up against the Argentina international. 

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What Marcelo said 

Speaking in an interview with Le Revuelta, Marcelo, who played for Barcelona's greatest rivals, Real Madrid, from 2007 until he left the club in 2022. 

As a left-back, the Brazilian was usually tasked with stopping Messi in the several El Clásico’s they played against each other, and he was rarely successful, as the Inter Miami star was utterly dominant. 

Despite their adversary, Marcelo appreciated the competition, hailing Messi's talent and even finding humour in reminiscing about getting dribbled by him. 

Marcelo squaring up against Lionel Messi || Image credit: Imago
Marcelo squaring up against Lionel Messi || Image credit: Imago

“I appreciate him a lot. He’s a crack; he’s incredible,” Marcelo said. “I thought you were going to show me the videos in which he made a fool of me! I didn’t even see him pass me. 

“He was very fast. But no problem; I was born in a place where dribbling is the best, not being dribbled. The problem is I wanted to hit him but I couldn’t get him.”

During the same interview, Marcelo was quizzed about the GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Despite his friendship with Cristiano, he refused to pick a side, underscoring his admiration for Messi

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