REAL MADRID will pay £17,000 to fly Marcelo to London on a private jet next week after his appeal to avoid election duty was denied.
The Brazilian has been randomly selected to monitor a polling station on Tuesday as the city’s voters pick their candidates for the assembly of Madrid.
This will prevent him from travelling with his team-mates ahead of Wednesday’s crunch Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Marcelo, 32, has been selected as a back-up – meaning he will only undertake the full role should anything happen to the other monitor.
But the flying full-back will still have to report for duty at 8am, and it has been deemed too risky to fly him out straight away – in case he is in fact required.
According to AS, Marcelo will train on his own at Valdebebas after his duties are wrapped up, before taking a £17,000 private jet to London on either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
But Madrid are furious with the prospect of their player being put in contact with numerous members of the general public.
Footballers have been living in specific bubbles this season, to try and avoid Covid-19 outbreaks within their clubs.
And Madrid tried to use this as a primary reason for Marcelo to be given special dispensation to dodge his election commitment for work reasons.
But their appeals were denied meaning that, if Marcelo is to have to step in for full monitor duty for any reason, his trip to England could still be in jeopardy.
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A reflective Zinedine Zidane said: “It is what it is, he will fulfil his obligations. On Wednesday he will be with us, nothing changes.”
Marcelo started Tuesday night’s 1-1 first-leg draw with Chelsea in the Spanish capital.
But that was just his second Champions League outing of the season, with Ferland Mendy having more often been given the nod this term.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
