🇧🇷🇵🇹😳 "I played against Cristiano Ronaldo before we became teammates. He elbowed me in the throat. On the next play, I took him down. He got up grabbing me by the neck, and I thought: ‘I’m 💀.’" It was my first time facing Cristiano Ronaldo. He was still playing for Manchester United, and I was at Real Madrid. I knew he was a physical beast, but I never imagined what it would be like to go up against him in person. In a contested play, we both jumped for the ball, and out of nowhere—boom!—he hit me with an elbow to the throat. I lost my breath for a moment and just thought: "Oh, okay, so this is how we play here." I didn’t just take it. The next time he came with the ball, I didn’t think twice and took him down with everything I had. Cristiano immediately got up and grabbed me by the neck. At that moment, I saw his face full of fury, and my mind just said: ‘I’m 💀.’ But then he just stared at me and smiled. He didn’t say a word, but I got the message: "This is how the game is played." Years later, we became teammates and great friends, but in that moment, I knew I was facing a competitor who feared no one. 🔥 Marcelo on his first clash with Cristiano Ronaldo. 😏👊 (Interview with Podpah)