Athletico 100 years: Marcelo Cirino, the “Cirineta” man

Among the aspects that make Maradona’s second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup the greatest football moment of the 20th century is Victor Hugo Morales’ narration. The Uruguayan narrator-poet realized in the heat of the events what this was about and decreed: “the move of all times”.

Because for the Atletico people, the epithet defines another move. The biggest and most magical of the club’s hundred years. So full of beauty and meanings that from September 18, 2019 it became tattoos, memes, animations, graffiti on walls and prints on t-shirts. It all happened in the 51st minute of the second half of the second leg of the Copa do Brasil final.

The draw already gave the title to Furacão. Marcelo Cirino, who had already experienced everything in his 12-year history at the club, received the ball near the corner on the offensive left wing. At home, bars, dens or in the stands at Beira-Rio we called for him to hold the ball until the game was over.

Haunted by two, Cirino used his slender body to protect the ball until, in a burst of cunning genius, he threw a pen at the first marker. The escape had the violent grace of cartoons. So overwhelming that the marker who covered it even retired.

From now on, the play would be called “Cirineta”, but it was not over yet. With the magic dribble, the field opened up. Cirino, as was his style, raised his head and calculated that if he had one more comeback, he would have time and space to the baseline to score the goal with his left-hander. Ron who was able to make his real leap at night in Porto Alegre.

The most beautiful title goal in history. And if we talked about Diego above, now we need to talk about Pelé. When the King of Football scored his thousandth goal, he didn’t do it by dribbling past the defense and the goalkeeper like he used to do. He scored a penalty, as the moment required the stadium and the world to stop and watch. With “Cirineta” it was the same thing. Marcelo didn’t perform his double dribble in a high-speed contest, but when all the spotlights and cameras were on him.

A move that encapsulates all the nobility of Brazilian football aged for 12 years in oak barrels. And in the absence of a Victor Hugo Morales we had the late Jacir de Oliveira: “he’s a champion – respect Furacão…”.

The move crowned Marcelo Cirino’s beautiful career at Rubro-Negro. Born in Maringá, the boy with a strong personality and personal positions emerged decisively in the runner-up team of the 2009 Copa São Paulo.

Afterwards, he left and returned from CAP in more than 250 games with the Rubro-Negra shirt. He was brilliant and decisive in the campaign to return to Série A, in 2012, and the runner-up in the Copa do Brasil and third place in the Brasileirão in 2013. When he returned to the club in 2018, he was the 12th player to win the South American titles, Levain Cup and, especially, the Copa do Brasil.

For me, the 21st century began when Cirino invented Athletico’s greatest play of all time.