Marcelo (footballer, born 1969)

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

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: 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[1]
Place of birth Niterói, Brazil[1]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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

Académica / Benfica

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

After one season apiece with Académica and C.D. Feirense in the second level, Marcelo made his Primeira Liga debut with Gil Vicente FC, scoring three goals for the Barcelos-based club. His most successful period in his adopted nation would be lived at lowly F.C. Tirsense, which he helped 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 S.L. Benfica, finishing his sole season as team topscorer in the league behind João Vieira Pinto, but his side did not win any silverware. He then spent one year in the Spanish second tier with Deportivo Alavés, going scoreless in nearly 25 league appearances.[3]

England / Later years

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 during his first year, he helped take the team to the semi-finals, after scoring against Coventry City at Highfield Road to set up the (eventually victorious) replay.

Birmingham City acquired Marcelo's services in 1999 for a fee of £500,000.[4] 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;[5] he ended his career in the country at Walsall,[6] for whom he played nine times and scored once, against Burnley.[7]

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

Benfica

Tirsense

References
  1. "Marcelo: Marcelo dos Santos Cipriano". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. Turnbull, Simon (7 February 1999). "Marcelo's brio from Rio". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  3. 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. "Birmingham who's who". BBC Sport. 22 February 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  5. "Worthington Cup final Clockwatch". BBC Sport. 25 February 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  6. "Walsall sign trio". BBC Sport. 8 February 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  7. "Walsall 1–0 Burnley". BBC Sport. 4 March 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
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