Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has decided that left-back Marcelo will become the new team captain following Sergio Ramos' departure.
Los Blancos confirmed on Wednesday that Ramos will end his 16-year association with Real this summer after failing to agree on a new contract, with his refusal to listen to their demands earlier this year understood to have driven a wedge between the defender and the club.
On top of finding someone to replace Ramos in the team, Real must also decide who will fill his leadership void in the dressing room. Ramos had been captain since 2015, and according to AS, the next man to wear the armband will be Marcelo.
Ancelotti respects Marcelo's experience and sees the 33-year-old, who has been with Real since 2007, as the ideal man to take over from Ramos.
The Brazilian will become the first non-Spaniard to captain Real in over 100 years. Real have had a Spanish captain ever since 1904, when Guatemalan Federico Revierto gave up the armband.
Unfortunately, there is one small problem with Marcelo becoming captain. He's not actually a first-team regular and is already being phased out by Ferland Mendy, so Ancelotti will need somebody to wear the armband in his absence.
The man for that job will be striker Karim Benzema, who will be the team's captain whenever Marcelo is not on the field.
Should neither Benzema nor Marcelo be playing, third in the captaincy pecking order is centre-back Raphael Varane - who had been expected to seal his own move away from the club this summer but has now been tipped to sign a new contract.
The first Spaniard to feature in Ancelotti's captaincy plans is defender Nacho Fernandez, who is fourth in the standings. He is Real's longest-serving player, having risen through the ranks at the academy.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Marcelo to replace Sergio Ramos as Real Madrid captain.
Source: www.90min.com