Real Madrid legend Marcelo breaks down in tears after GRUESOMELY injuring rival
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 2 Aug 2023 09:41 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid legend Marcelo has issued a heart-felt apology on social media after seriously injuring Lucian Sanchez while playing for Fluminense against Argentinos Juniors.
Marcelo was sent off 58 minutes into the match for his challenge, which came as he tried to evade the player when making a dash forward out of defence.
It was a seventh red card in a career that has seen him play more than 600 senior matches for club and country, yet this one is set to stick in the player’s mind purely because of the outcome for the unfortunate Sanchez.
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The challenge, though, appeared purely accidental but the outcome was gruesome as the Argentinos Juniors’ player's knee bent in an unnatural fashion and surely left him sidelined for several months.
It came as Marcelo, who returned to South America in January on a free transfer after 16 years in Europe with Real Madrid and Olympiacos, attempted a swashbuckling counterattack that saw him dodge two challenges before attempting to beat Sanchez, who was unfortunate as the 35-year-old stepped on his fully extended leg.
Marcelo stopped the game immediately to help his opponent and broke down in tears when he saw the outcome of the tackle was more serious than he could have initially imagined.
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*WARNING: This video contains graphic images of Lucian Sanchez’s injury*
Marcelo's apology
He rapidly took to Twitter to issue an apology.
“I accidentally injured a teammate in my professional,” he said. “I want to wish you the best possible recovery, Luciano Sanchez. All the strength in the world!”
The last-16 encounter ended in a 1-1 draw, with Fluminense grabbing a late equaliser through Samuel Xavier after the hosts had seen Alexis Martin Arias also dismissed. The second leg of the clash takes place next week, with Marcelo naturally suspended after his red card.
