MADRID: Marcelo was still in his teens when he arrived at Real Madrid with the difficult task of replacing one of his boyhood idols, Roberto Carlos.
It did not take long for him to rise to the challenge.
On Saturday, Marcelo will have a chance to emulate Roberto Carlos’ feat of winning three Champions League titles.
“It’s priceless to be playing again in a Champion League final,” said Marcelo, who will face Juventus on Saturday in Cardiff. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Nearly 11 years after joining Madrid from Brazilian club Fluminense as an 18-year-old promising youngster, Marcelo has become a defensive star just like Roberto Carlos, who won his Champions League titles in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
One of the team’s captains, Marcelo will be trying to win his third European title in four seasons. He scored a goal in extra time when Madrid defeated crosstown rival Atletico Madrid in the 2014 final, and converted a penalty kick in last year’s decisive shootout, also against Atletico.
Marcelo and Roberto Carlos are the foreign players with the most ever appearances with Real Madrid. Marcelo will be playing in his 408th match on Saturday, while Roberto Carlos ended his 11-year stint with the club with 527.
Roberto Carlos left Madrid shortly after Marcelo arrived, but the two remained friends and stayed in contact since then. Roberto Carlos works for the club and still lives in the Spanish capital.
“To come to a place where your idol is playing and have him welcome you so warmly, knowing that you play in his positon, that’s rare in soccer,” Marcelo said. “I came here to be his successor and he treated me and my family as if we were his own. He gave us his number and told us to call him if we needed anything.”
Earlier this year, Marcelo surpassed Roberto Carlos as the foreign-born player with most Spanish league wins with Madrid.
The 44-year-old Roberto Carlos has repeatedly praised his successor, calling him the world’s best full back.
The former great thrived with a very different style compared to Marcelo, relying mostly on his physical strength and incredible long-range shots.
The 29-year-old Marcelo has excelled with his skillful footwork and precise crosses, looking more like a playmaker than a defensive player.
Marcelo was one of the team’s leaders in assists this season, and his performances were good enough to earn him a place in Brazil’s national team under coach Tite.
Marcelo won a bronze medal with Brazil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but was left out of the 2010 World Cup squad coached by Dunga. He was a starter in Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup.
Roberto Carlos won the 2002 World Cup under coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Marcelo will be facing another Brazilian on Saturday, right back Dani Alves, who has thrived since joining Juventus from Barcelona last season. The Brazil teammates will be on the same side of the field and are expected to be constantly going against each other.
“I know that Dani Alves is a very good player and I always enjoying playing against him,” Marcelo said. “It’s going to be a great match.”
Marcelo trying to repeat Roberto Carlos’ success at Madrid
Marcelo trying to repeat Roberto Carlos’ success at Madrid
Rampant Sabalenka sweeps past Jovic into Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE: Relentless top seed Aryna Sabalenka muscled past American teenager Iva Jovic and into the Australian Open semifinals Tuesday to accelerate her bid for a third Melbourne title.
The Belarusian powered home 6-3, 6-0 in blazing heat to set up a clash with either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
It booked the 27-year-old a 14th career Grand Slam semifinal and fourth in a row at the season-opening major.
Sabalenka has won twice in Melbourne, in 2023 and 2024, and seemed destined for another crown last year but was upset in the final by Madison Keys.
Keys’ title defense is over, beaten in the fourth round by Jessica Pegula.
“These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory at the lead-up Brisbane International.
“It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. She played incredible tennis. Pushed me to to one step better level. And I’m super happy with the win.”
The match was played under an open roof on Rod Laver Arena with the tournament Heat Stress Scale yet to reach the level where it could be closed.
Temperatures are forecast to hit a blistering 45C with a peak of 38C reached during the match.
Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for 18-year-old Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
She stunned seventh seed and two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and blitzed past experienced Yulia Putintseva for the loss of just one game to announce herself to the world.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
The world number one safely held serve to lay down a marker, blasting an ace to set up game point and an unreturnable serve to win it.
Jovic made some early errors and sent the ball long on break point to surrender her serve and fall 2-0 behind.
Sabalenka held to pile on the pressure before Jovic fended off a break point on her next serve to get on the scoreboard.
But despite some long rallies as she got into the match and three break points as Sabalenka served for the set, the top seed’s brute force proved too much.
Sabalenka then broke her immediately to assert control of set two and Jovic was spent, with another break for 3-0 then a double fault to slump 5-0 down, signalling the end.
