"My relationship with Cristiano started with a fight in the Brazil-Portugal match" – Marcelo opens up on clash with Real Madrid hero Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid legend Marcelo has opened up on when he first crossed paths with Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that the pair got involved in an on-pitch altercation in 2008.

Marcelo, 36, recently remarked in an interview (h/t X/@MadridXtra):

"My relationship with Cristiano started with a fight in the Brazil-Portugal match. I fouled him because he was too fast. I kicked him and he grabbed me. I tried too but he was too tall. Then I got a message that Real Madrid were going to sign him in two months. I joked, 'I'm leaving Real Madrid' but everything was good."

Marcelo, who retired last month, represented Real Madrid between 2007 and 2022. He helped the La Liga outfit lift 25 trophies and provided 25 assists to Ronaldo, with whom he shared the pitch for 332 times for Los Blancos.

The Al-Nassr striker, on the other hand, helped Real Madrid win 16 trophies between 2009 and 2018. The 40-year-old scored a club-record 450 goals and recorded 131 assists in 438 overall matches for the Spanish giants.

Pundit claims Cristiano Ronaldo has 'big ego'

Last month, Al-Nassr crashed to a 3-2 home league loss to Al-Ettifaq as Jhon Duran received a late red card. Cristiano Ronaldo was less than impressed with the decision as he kicked the ball in anger after the sending off.

Speaking to betting outlet Casino Hawks, ex-Arsenal and Barcelona star Emmanuel Petit said that the Al-Nassr captain could also have been sent off for his reaction. He said (h/t GOAL):

"You just have to look at Ronaldo's reaction to the referee when Duran was sent off, he was complaining so much that it was even embarrassing to watch on television. The referee probably realised that Ronaldo was an ambassador for the division and thought to himself, 'I'd be taking a big risk here by sending him off too'."

Petit, who helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup trophy, concluded:

"But great players have big egos, their emotions can go over the top and it can lead them to react in a bad way. I saw that so many times when I was a player. The character of big stars can be huge. He will learn from that, but will he change? I don't think so. This is how he is, it's too late for him to change."

So far this season, the former Real Madrid striker has found the back of the net 25 times in 30 outings across all competitions for Al-Nassr. He has also registered four assists for the Saudi Pro League side this campaign.