Football
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Real Madrid's Marcelo: I didn't ask to skip Brazil qualifiers

Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has denied that he ever told Brazil coach Dunga that he didn't want to represent his country after being left off the team last month for World Cup qualifying matches.

Brazil national teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi on Monday accused Marcelo of "not showing initiative" at the time of the call-up for the CONMEBOL matches against Paraguay and Uruguay, saying that the 27-year-old should have contacted the Selecao team doctor to give him updates after suffering a shoulder and calf injury.

Asked about the incident on Tuesday ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League quarterfinal vs. Wolfsburg, Marcelo responded in his native Portuguese.

"I have been playing for my national team since I was 15 and am as proud as ever about it," he told reporters. "So then when I don't get called up I get upset and I think no one, really no one can truly doubt my desire to play for the Selecao. I will defend my club to the death and of course defend my national team to the death as well. But the decision about getting called up is not up to me."

After the two draws last month, the Selecao are sixth in the qualifying table and outside of the automatic qualification spots after six games. Brazil announced their squad for the two March qualifiers on March 3. Marcelo was sidelined on Feb. 21, but returned in time for Los Blancos' match against Celta Vigo on March 6. He played the final 13 minutes of that match as a substitute.

But Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar told Goal in Brazil that he did reach out to both the player and the club and that "a series of injuries" led to Marcelo being left off the squad in March.

"Dunga was a little confused," said Lasmar. "There was great controversy that there had been no contact between the CBF and Real Madrid. But there was: I'm Brazil´s doctor and I contacted Marcelo, a Real Madrid player. I have known him for many years and what he told me over by phone was enough. I passed that information on to Dunga and [technical coordinator] Gilmar. The criterion to call someone up or not is decided by the coach, our job is to get details of their condition and inform him at the time of the call-ups."

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane claimed there had been no contact between his club and the Brazilian football confederation (CBF), according to the Goal report.

Gilmar said that Marcelo should have spoken up.

"Marcelo would have trained that morning and called our doctor to let him know how he was doing, as did Ricardo Oliveira," Gilmar told Fox Sports. "On the day of the call-up I asked the team doctor if there had been any changes and he told me there had not."

Gilmar also alleged that Zidane should not have denied that the club had had contact from Brazil coach Dunga regarding Marcelo's status.

"Why is he calling Dunga a liar? What kind of respect is he showing? Zidane said that no one at Real Madrid had spoken to them but then for what team does Marcelo play? We spoke directly to him," Gilmar said.

Marcelo maintained he had been waiting for the call.

"I am working and will continue to work to help my country. And it should be clear that anyone who doesn't get called is going to be upset," Marcelo said. "I am tired of this conversation and I think we have said enough. This is all I am going to say about it. No one can doubt my commitment to Brazil."

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