Marcelo's Fluminense Contract Terminated after Clash with Coach

FILE PHOTO: Copa Libertadores - Quarter finals - Second Leg - Atletico Mineiro v Fluminense - Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte, Brazil - September 25, 2024 Fluminense's Marcelo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Cris Mattos/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Copa Libertadores - Quarter finals - Second Leg - Atletico Mineiro v Fluminense - Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte, Brazil - September 25, 2024 Fluminense's Marcelo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Cris Mattos/File Photo
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Marcelo's Fluminense Contract Terminated after Clash with Coach

FILE PHOTO: Copa Libertadores - Quarter finals - Second Leg - Atletico Mineiro v Fluminense - Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte, Brazil - September 25, 2024 Fluminense's Marcelo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Cris Mattos/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Copa Libertadores - Quarter finals - Second Leg - Atletico Mineiro v Fluminense - Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte, Brazil - September 25, 2024 Fluminense's Marcelo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Cris Mattos/File Photo

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 Associated Press reported.
“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.”



Neymar Suspects Latest Injury Nothing More Serious than Cramp

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
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Neymar Suspects Latest Injury Nothing More Serious than Cramp

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)

Neymar was not too downcast after being forced to leave Monday's Asian Champions League Elite match due to injury with the Al-Hilal forward saying he felt the issue was nothing more than a strong cramp.

The Brazilian, who limped off 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in Al-Hilal's 3-0 win over Esteghlal, said doctors had warned him about the potential for muscle issues following his return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The 32-year-old returned to action two weeks ago, having been out since Brazil's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October last year when he suffered the injury.

"It felt like a cramp, only very strong!" Neymar posted on Instagram. "I'm going to have some tests and I hope it's nothing too serious.

"It's normal for this to happen after a year, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes."

Neymar has played only seven games for Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal since moving from Paris St Germain in August last year.