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Marcelo (footballer, born 1969)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Dos Santos and the second or paternal family name is Cipriano.
Marcelo
Personal information
Full name Marcelo dos Santos Cipriano[1]
Date of birth (1969-10-11) 11 October 1969 (age 55)[1]
Place of birth Niterói, Brazil
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1983–1987 Beira-Mar
1987–1988 Académica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1991 Académica 35 (5)
1989–1990 → Sertanense (loan)
1991–1992 Feirense 31 (12)
1992–1993 Gil Vicente 22 (3)
1993–1995 Tirsense 65 (26)
1995–1996 Benfica 27 (7)
1996–1997 Alavés 23 (0)
1997–1999 Sheffield United 65 (25)
1999–2002 Birmingham City 77 (24)
2002 Walsall 9 (1)
2002–2004 Académica 30 (5)
Total 324 (108)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcelo dos Santos Cipriano (born 11 October 1969), known simply as Marcelo, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a striker.

He played professionally in Portugal (most notably one season for Benfica), England, where he appeared for three First Division (second-tier) clubs, and Spain.

Club career

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Académica and Benfica

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Born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro to Portuguese parents,[2] Marcelo returned to their homeland still in his teens, entering the youth system of Académica de Coimbra, which loaned him to fourth division team Sertanense in the summer of 1989.[3]

After one season apiece with Académica and Feirense in the Segunda Liga, Marcelo made his Primeira Liga debut with Gil Vicente, scoring three goals for the Barcelos-based club. His most successful period in his adopted nation would be at lowly Tirsense, which he helped to achieve top-flight promotion in 1994, subsequently netting 17 times in 1994–95 as the northerners achieved a best-ever eight-place in the competition.[3]

Marcelo's exploits earned him a transfer to Benfica, finishing his sole season as team top scorer in the league behind João Vieira Pinto, but his side did not win any silverware. He then spent one year in the Spanish Segunda División with Alavés, going scoreless in 26 total appearances.[3]

England and later years

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In the following five years, Marcelo played in England, starting in 1997 with Sheffield United, which signed the player for a fee of £400,000.[2] In the FA Cup tournament of his first year, he helped to take the team to the semi-finals after scoring against Coventry City at Highfield Road to set up the (eventually victorious) replay.[4]

Birmingham City acquired Marcelo's services in 1999 for £500,000.[5] He played on the losing side in the 2001 Football League Cup final, coming on as a second-half substitute and netting in the penalty shootout.[6] He reached the First Division play-offs later that year, losing in the semi-finals to Preston North End in another shootout and missing his attempt this time around.[7] He ended his career in the country at Walsall,[8] for whom he played nine times and scored once, against Burnley.[9]

At nearly 33, Marcelo returned to Portugal and first professional club Académica, spending a further two seasons in the top division after which he retired from the game.[3]

Honours

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Benfica

Tirsense

Birmingham City

References

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  1. ^ a b c Marcelo at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b Turnbull, Simon (7 February 1999). "Marcelo's brio from Rio". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Tadeia, António (11 October 2017). "Marcelo nasceu no Brasil, mas sempre soube que era português. Aprendeu a fazer golos no Tirsense, teve o azar de chegar ao Benfica numa fase má do clube, mas ainda ajudou a ganhar uma Taça de Portugal antes de emigrar" [Marcelo was born in Brazil, but he always knew he was Portuguese. He learned how to score goals in Tirsense, he had the misfortune of arriving at Benfica in a bad time for the club, but he still helped win a Portuguese Cup before moving abroad.] (in Portuguese). António Tadeia. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  4. ^ Fox, Norman (8 March 1998). "Football: Marcelo's solo balancing act". The Independent. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Birmingham who's who". BBC Sport. 22 February 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Worthington Cup final Clockwatch". BBC Sport. 25 February 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Preston shock Blues in shoot-out". BBC Sport. 17 May 2001. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Walsall sign trio". BBC Sport. 8 February 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  9. ^ "Walsall 1–0 Burnley". BBC Sport. 4 March 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
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