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It's really hard to have two star players for the same position. You always need depth, but those players end up getting tired of the situation. This seemed to be Coentrao's case. Marcelo, the fan-favorite, started the season being the undisputed starter. Coentrao almost did not have any minutes and rumors said that he was minutes away from being shipped to Manchester United. Then, this winter, Marcelo got injured and Coentrao started playing at left back. Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey Final and the Champions League Semifinals with him starting and playing a key role. Marcelo got his spot back for what could be a crucial Liga BBVA game against Valencia and appeared to be completely disconnected from the team. Real Madrid lost a big chance and some fans blamed Marcelo for the draw.
Some fans are asking for Marcelo to leave the club. They say his commitment to the team and the profession is simply not there, saying that he's overweight. The truth is Marcelo himself is not helping those rumors with his attitude when the team loses the ball. These group of fans make the case for Coentrao to be the starter not only in Lisbon. They want Marcelo to have a backup role.
The truth is that both left backs seem to be emotionally unstable. And their competition for the starting spot is certainly not helping. Real Madrid need to choose carefully about that undisputed left back. Marcelo has the better talent, that's undeniable, while Coentrao is a much better defender. It would be perfect to keep them both on the roster if the players were to accept the situation. But that's not the case. One way or another, Real Madrid will likely need to buy a backup left back, and rumors say Alberto Moreno will be the one.
Marcelo has proved how good he can be. Again, his 2010-2011 season was one of the best I have ever seen in a left back. On the other hand, Coentrao has not been that great but he's steady. You know what to expect from him, and that doesn't happen with Marcelo. Fàbio Coentrao probably deserves to start in the Champions League Final to begin with. He was the one who stopped Robben and he's clearly in a better form. Furthermore, Marcelo's skills could be brought off the bench to change the game and go for a desperate goal.
That said, Marcelo is Real's fourth captain and he will probably stay with Real Madrid this summer while Coentrao signs with another team. And it's not easy to tell whether that's fair or not, because neither one has probably helped their own cause during the last two seasons. It should not be forgotten that the Portuguese has not shown a great commitment to the team either. Whatever the outcome, Real Madrid will be losing two unique players.