Hertha's best of all time celebrates his 50th birthday

When the man with the evocative name Marcelo dos Santos Paraiba, nicknamed Marcelinho, was expected to arrive in Berlin-Tegel in the summer of 2001 as a 14 million-mark signing from Bundesliga club Hertha BSC , it became a major media event. On June 27, the plane carrying the highly talented Brazilian was scheduled to land at 5:10 p.m., but the flight from São Paulo via Paris to Berlin was canceled at short notice.

Marcelinho landed at Tegel airport a day later on an Air France flight and was greeted by a crowd of excited journalists. The man from Campina Grande in northeastern Brazil was only the second professional from the country of the five-time world champions to be signed by Hertha. Before him, in the winter of 2000, the eccentric striker Alex Alves had come to Berlin for a transfer fee of 15.2 million DM, which would stand as a club record for many years.

He kept the fans and the club on their toes

Marcelinho, whose integration was much quicker than Alves', was given the number 10 jersey, thrilled fans for five seasons, and often kept the club on its toes – both on and off the pitch. "Of the many good players Hertha had, he was the greatest," says then- manager Dieter Hoeneß . "His play made your heart sing!"

In a total of 155 Bundesliga matches for the Blue-Whites over five seasons, he scored 65 goals and provided 49 assists. Among his many strikes from all angles were numerous wonder goals. He was twice named "Goal of the Month" by ARD . The versatile player enjoyed his most successful season in 2004/05 under head coach Falko Götz. He still refers to him as his "favorite coach." In 32 games, he scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists! In Kicker magazine's traditional poll, Bundesliga players from all clubs voted him "Best Player of the Season."

Appointment as “flag bearer”

"Hertha BSC – that was the best time of my long career," said Marcelinho at the beginning of May, when he was invited to Berlin by Hertha after many years in his home country. On May 17, he celebrates his 50th birthday, and Hertha BSC named him the "flag bearer" – a special award given to particularly deserving professionals. He now joins the small circle of honorees – along with Erich Beer, Marko Rehmer, Gabor Kiraly, and Eyjölfur Sverrisson.

Back to the beginning of the exciting time with this exceptional footballer: In 2001, Hertha's chief scout Rudi Wojtowicz discovered the Brazilian and, in addition to his technical finesse and goal-scoring ability, was particularly impressed by his willingness to run, which "is not typical for Brazilians," as Wojtowicz said at the time. Manager Hoeneß even traveled to Brazil especially and was impressed.

When Marcelinho joined his new team at their training camp in Kaprun, Austria, after a long flight to Europe in the summer of 2001, head coach Jürgen Röber, who only knew his prominent signing via video, scheduled a training match between Hertha A and Hertha B and substituted Marcelinho after 30 minutes, "due to the strains of the previous journey." But Marcelinho reacted angrily, saying: "You don't substitute Brazilians!" From then on, substituting him was almost taboo.

His strong physique was impressive. He sustained only one serious injury during his time in Berlin, a broken metatarsal, but otherwise he remained consistently fit for action. Whenever the team got into trouble, Marcelinho had to step up.

Parallel world in Charlottenburg

Off the pitch, however, he had built a parallel world for himself, which he needed to deliver top performances. In addition to his large apartment in Charlottenburg, he had rented a second attic apartment, which was often home to seven or eight of his friends from Brazil, whom he generously paid for. They accompanied him and partied with their star player. Marcelinho called it a "feeling of home." His monthly expenses were said to be around €30,000. His annual salary was said to be around €1.8 million. He often overdid his nightly outings to his favorite spots, Ipanema and Tapa on Torstrasse. But the next morning, he showed up fit for training.

He remains the most spectacular player Hertha has ever had.

Former teammate and goalscorer Michael Preetz once said: "Marcelo often celebrated several times a week and always delivered afterward. He remains the most spectacular player Hertha has ever had. A party animal with tremendous performance."

In 2002, however, driving under the influence of alcohol cost him his participation in the World Cups in Japan and South Korea. With a blood alcohol level of 1.27, he was speeding along the Kaiserdamm. Luis Felipe Scolari, the coach of the Seleção, dropped Marcelinho, whom he had used in the World Cup qualifiers.

The star, beloved by fans and the media, cost himself his job in Berlin in 2006. He returned late from summer vacation four times. When the team was already sweating at the training camp in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria, in the summer of 2006, he returned from Brazil nine days late. The cup had overflowed, and Hoeneß, with a heavy heart, sold his protégé to Trabzonspor in Turkey.

Interlude at VfL Wolfsburg

After a stint at VfL Wolfsburg from 2006 to 2008 (50 games, 12 goals, 18 assists), he returned to his homeland and played for a dozen more clubs. It wasn't until March 15, 2020—at the ripe old age of 44—that he ended his career at lower-league club AD Perilima in a 2-2 draw with João Pessoa.

He has long since given up his wild life in the fast lane, is taking care of his family, whom he had long neglected, has become a churchgoer, and has sworn off alcohol. He has been working as a coach for several years – quite successfully – at second- or third-tier clubs. Now, during his visit to Berlin, he surprisingly said that he could imagine living there for a longer period of time again and would ideally like to work at Hertha...

But now: Happy 50th birthday, Marcelinho!