Marcelinho Paraíba

Marcelinho Paraíba
Marcelinho playing for Hertha BSC in 2005
Personal information
Full name Marcelo dos Santos
Date of birth (1975-05-17) 17 May 1975
Place of birth Campina Grande, Brazil
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1993 Campinense 0 (0)
1994 Paraguaçuense 0 (0)
1994 → Santos (loan) 7 (0)
1995–1997 Rio Branco-SP 42 (7)
1997–2000 São Paulo 60 (15)
2000 Marseille 19 (3)
2001 Grêmio 49 (23)
2001–2006 Hertha BSC 155 (65)
2006 Trabzonspor 17 (2)
2007–2008 VfL Wolfsburg 51 (12)
2008–2009 Flamengo 7 (8)
2009 Coritiba 34 (14)
2010–2011 São Paulo 8 (1)
2010 → Sport Recife (loan) 23 (6)
2011–2012 Sport Recife 33 (12)
2012 Grêmio Barueri 19 (3)
2012–2013 Boa Esporte 33 (5)
2014 Fortaleza 19 (2)
2015 Inter de Lages 17 (9)
2015 Joinville 32 (5)
2016 Oeste 14 (4)
2016 Inter de Lages 9 (3)
2016 → Ypiranga-RS (loan) 4 (2)
2017 Treze 4 (4)
2017–2018 Portuguesa 6 (0)
2018 Treze 13 (5)
2018–2019 Perilima 2 (2)
2019 Treze 16 (3)
2020 Perilima 3 (0)
2020 Treze 2 (0)
Total 698 (215)
International career
2001 Brazil 5 (1)
Managerial career
2021 Treze
2021 Sport Lagoa Seca
2022 Oeirense
2022 Treze
2022–2023 Serra Branca
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcelo dos Santos (born 17 May 1975), commonly known as Marcelinho or Marcelinho Paraíba, is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. The suffix "Paraíba" refers to his home state in Brazil, distinguishing him from other footballers sharing the nickname.

During his playing career, Marcelinho was widely regarded as a highly creative playmaker, recognized for his vision, dribbling skills, and set-piece ability. He spent his most notable years in the German Bundesliga, primarily with Hertha BSC, where he became a club icon and won two DFB-Ligapokal titles, before later captaining VfL Wolfsburg. At international level, he earned five caps and scored one goal for the Brazil national football team.

In addition, he is also one of a select number of players who have amassed over 1,100 career appearances.

Career

Born in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Marcelinho began his career in Campinense, where he won two league titles there. Between 1994 and 1995, he played for Santos. Two years later, however, he made his breakthrough at São Paulo, where he won two Paulistões before being sold to Olympique de Marseille.

He only spent a year in France, and in 2001 he returned to Brazil to play for Grêmio, where he began to experience the pinnacle of his career. At that time, Marcelinho was called "Marcelinho Paraúcho" by Gremistas, because of his passage in the team. He became champion and top scorer of the Campeonato Gaúcho, and champion of the Copa do Brasil, where he scored a goal in the second game in the final against Corinthians. He did not play in the league that year because he had previously signed a five-year contract with Hertha BSC.

Marcelinho played for Hertha from 2001 to 2006, establishing himself as one of the most important players in the club's history. Operating primarily as a playmaker, he was known for his technical brilliance, vision, and leadership, while also carrying the responsibility for the team's free kicks, corner kicks, and penalties. To help him settle in Germany, Marcelinho relocated a large group of family and friends to live with him in three rented apartments in Berlin.[1]

He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut and helping Hertha win the 2001 and 2002 DFB-Ligapokal, the club's first major trophies since 1990. His most statistically impressive campaign was the 2004–05 season, where he registered 18 goals and 13 assists, helping Hertha secure a fourth-place finish. Notably, in a match against SC Freiburg, he scored a memorable goal from the center circle. His performances earned him a spot in the Hertha Team of the Century in 2003, and in 2005, he became the first non-German in 39 years to win the Berlin Sportsperson of the Year award.[1]

Despite his on-pitch success, Marcelinho was known for an extravagant off-field lifestyle, frequently partying into the early hours and regularly returning late from winter and summer breaks. While the club's management, particularly vice-president Dieter Hoeneß, tolerated his behavior due to his exceptional fitness and match performances, tensions eventually boiled over. At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Marcelinho returned from Brazil 11 days late, citing airport runway maintenance. Following a fallout with manager Falko Götz and making contradictory statements regarding his future, he departed the club.

In August 2006, Marcelinho signed a three-year contract with Turkish club Trabzonspor for approximately €2.5 million (£2.5 million). Despite a passionate welcome from the fans, he struggled to adapt to the local football culture. After scoring just two goals in 17 appearances, he left the club after only six months, returning to Germany to sign with VfL Wolfsburg in January 2007. He played one and a half seasons with them.

Marcelinho during his second stint with São Paulo in 2010

In August 2008, he returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo.[2] On 6 March 2009, Coritiba signed him on a free transfer until the end of the year, as Marcelinho terminated his contract with Flamengo.[3] After the relegation of Coritiba, he re-signed for São Paulo in December 2009. In August 2010, he was loaned to Sport until the end of the 2010 season,[4] and his contract was extended to the end of the 2011 season.

Marcelinho subsequently embarked on a journeyman career, representing Sport, Boa Esporte, Fortaleza, Internacional de Lages (two stints), Joinville, Oeste, Ypiranga de Erechim, Treze,[5] and Portuguesa.

Retirement and return

On 15 March 2020, he announced his retirement as a professional player, playing for Perilima against Centro Sportivo Paraibano in the eighth round of the 2020 Campeonato Paraibano;[6] however, eight months later, he changed his mind and rejoined Treze in an effort to help them avoid relegation.[7] He made his first appearance since returning from retirement on 28 November as a half-time substitute in a 1–1 draw with Vila Nova, being substituted himself in the 78th minute.[8][9]

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.15 August 2001Estádio Olímpico Monumental, Porto Alegre, Brazil Paraguay1–02–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Managerial career

On 10 December 2020, after Treze suffered relegation from the 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Marcelinho was appointed manager of the club for the 2021 campaign.[10] Despite a promising start in the 2021 Copa do Nordeste, he could not prevent a drop in performance which saw his side finish fourth in the first stage of the 2021 Campeonato Paraibano, and on 24 May 2021 he was dismissed.[11] He joined Sport-PB as manager in September 2021.[12] He was in role for only 15 days before resigning due to off-field problems.[13] In late October 2021, Marcelinho was announced as the coach of Oeirense for the 2022 season.[14] He was sacked in February 2022 after just six games following a heavy defeat.[15] On 11 March 2022, he was announced as the coach of Treze for a second time.[16]

Honours

Campinense[17]

São Paulo[17]

Grêmio[17]

Hertha BSC

Boa Esporte

Individual

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, James (30 January 2019). "Marcelinho: The maverick Brazilian who lit up the Bundesliga". These Football Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Flamengo acerta com meia Marcelinho Paraíba" (in Portuguese). Terra Esportes. 10 August 2008. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  3. ↑ "Coxa e Marcelinho perto de acerto" (in Portuguese). coritiba.com.br. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Marcelinho Paraíba deixa o São Paulo e acerta para reforçar o Sport" (in Portuguese). Esporte. 9 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  5. ↑ "Meia Marcelinho Paraíba dá drible no Campinense e fecha com o rival Treze". globoesporte.globo.com. 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Beecube (15 March 2020). "Marcelinho Paraíba encerra carreira polêmica no jogo de hoje contra o CSP • Paraíba Online". Paraíba Online. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Marcelinho Paraíba interrompe a aposentadoria para, aos 45 anos, tentar evitar a queda do Treze". globoesporte.globo.com (in Portuguese). 28 November 2020. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Treze vs. Vila Nova - 28 November 2020 - Soccerway". Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Brazil - Marcelinho Paraíba - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "Marcelinho Paraíba é confirmado como técnico do Treze para 2021" [Marcelinho Paraíba is confirmed as manager of Treze for 2021] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Treze demite Marcelinho Paraíba" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Sport-PB anuncia Marcelinho Paraíba como técnico da equipe para a 2ª divisão do Paraibano" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 13 September 2021. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Marcelinho Paraíba admite mágoa com o Treze e afirma que sua saída do clube foi um "tiro no pé"" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 24 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Marcelinho Paraíba fecha com o Oeirense e assume o comando técnico do time piauiense" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 25 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Após goleada no Piauiense, Marcelinho Paraíba é demitido do Oeirense: "Não faltou empenho"" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 5 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "Treze acerta o retorno do técnico Marcelinho Paraíba para o time" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 "Biografias – Marcelinho Paraíba" (in Portuguese). Uol Esporte. Archived from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Boa Esporte segura o Leão e é campeão da Taça Minas Gerais 2012" (in Portuguese). www.hojeemdia.com. 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Bundesliga Historie 2002/03" (in German). kicker. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  20. ↑ "Bundesliga Historie 2004/05" (in German). kicker. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
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