Real Madrid legend Marcelo has weighed on his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo's "sharp decline" following the Portuguese striker's big move to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo's blockbuster transfer to Al Nassr at the turn of the year has garnered a lot of reaction from fans, ex-players and even some of his former teammates at both club and international level.
Marcelo has become to comment on the 38-year-old's decision to leave the European game for a lucrative switch to the Middle East, where he is set to earn a reported £173 million (R3.7 billion) a year.
Read: African EPL star set to join Ronaldo's Al Nassr?
The two stars spent almost decade together at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they formed a strong friendship and on-field relationship that saw the Brazilian assist the five-time Ballon d'Or winner 25 times, per the Daily Star.
The 34-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Al Nassr, was recently asked about Ronaldo's "sharp decline" during an interview with ESPN, to which he responded: "When we start playing football, we know it's not forever.
"It's clear that he doesn't have the speed he used to have, but he can play for any team in the world.
"He has always given the maximum to his teams.
"We are talking about a player who has been 17 years in a row in The Best FIFA XI."
Discussing his final season in Madrid, the 58-capped Selecao fullback added: "I knew I wasn't the starter and I said: what can I do to help the team?
"Of course, I was annoyed that I wasn’t playing.
"There is no player who says he is happy to be on the bench. And if he says so, he's lying, it's impossible.
"I helped my teammates by competing in training and I felt very useful. My way of being and my joy brought a lot, too. I felt like a winner too.
"It's tough to be captain and not play. And to tell your son that the coach doesn't count on you, but this season was the best because I learned a lot as a human being."
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Marcelo left Real at the end of last season when his contract expired, and joined Greek outfit Olympiacos on a short-term deal.
However, he has since terminated his stay with the Greek Super League club after just five months, and it remains to be seen where he will play his football next.
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