Real Madrid legend Marcelo has said the club cannot be written off as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Arsenal in their Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Wednesday.
A pair of stunning free kicks helped Arsenal stun Madrid at the Emirates last week, leaving Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a mountain to climb. However, Marcelo, who won five Champions League titles with Madrid, said no task is too big for the club.
“You can never write off Real Madrid,” Marcelo told ESPN in an interview in Mexico on Monday. “Although three goals is a lot of goals, but I am always thinking about Real Madrid and have a lot of faith that they’ll come back. Real Madrid is Real Madrid and they always come back.”
Marcelo is in Mexico this week playing in the Club Legends Clásico with other former Madrid and Barcelona players.
“The return leg is at the Bernabéu, the fans will push hard and the players are confident it can happen. Of course, we don’t know what will happen, we have faith and Real Madrid will come back,” Marcelo said.
Marcelo added that winning is in the DNA of Real Madrid players, as it is something taught to them from the moment they wear the shirt.
“I think that from the moment we joined Real Madrid, we’re taught to never give up, and that’s always been in our blood,” he said. “It’s been like this for many years, and apart from the DNA, it’s hard work, humility, daily dedication, and the support of the fans as well. It’s all part of making things work.”
Madrid, who will welcome Arsenal to the Bernabéu, can boast a track record of recovering from the position they find themselves entering Wednesday, although the club has never come back from a 3-0 first-leg defeat.
Ancelotti’s side delivered a series of logic-defying comebacks en route to the Champions League title in 2022, including two stoppage-time goals to deny Manchester City in the semifinals.
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