Marcelo’s contract terminated by Fluminense after touchline spat with manager

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

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 on Friday, but the defender appeared to dispute the coach’s instructions, who then decided to field striker John Kennedy instead.

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

The Brazilian club said in a statement that the decision made on Saturday was by mutual agreement: “Fluminense FC and Marcelo Vieira announce the termination of the contract by mutual agreement between the parties.

“The institutional and emotional ties between Fluminense and Marcelo continue to be maintained. The athlete’s name was recently immortalised in the stadium at the Xerem training center. Fluminense thanks Marcelo and will continue, as always, to support his success in all his challenges.”

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.

Fluminense are currently 13th in the Brazilian league with 37 points from 32 matches thus far.