Santo Dérbi: Marcos’ last derby, knee pain and a Pacaembu farewell | OneFootball

Fifteen years on from Marcos’s last Dérbi, the landmarks of his farewell remain clear, from injury to restraint and a night of canonisation. According to Nosso Palestra, the 28 August 2011 clash was his final appearance in the rivalry, a chapter in the club’s 112-year history.

The left knee trouble pre-dated that season. It was already affecting him in the Libertadores round of 16 against Sport, and in 2011, his final year as a professional, the pain curtailed any sustained run.

His last Dérbi came in Presidente Prudente on 28 August 2011. He featured only four more times, signing off on 18 September with a 1-1 draw against Avaí in Florianópolis.

Felipão recalled that Marcos chose to stop to ensure Palmeiras would not suffer on his account, stressing he felt pain and preferred to step back to consider his life. He said Marcos did not seek personal advantage, he simply sought to act for Palmeiras.

A year after officially retiring, Marcos staged his farewell at Pacaembu, overnight between 11 and 12 December 2012, the so-called night of canonisation and a final meeting with the supporters on the pitch.

José Mariano Barrella, a long-time Palmeiras fan who worked as a ball boy for Marcos at Palestra Italia in the 1990s, said the goalkeeper embodied the club hymn’s idea of an impenetrable defence and transmitted security. For him, the Dérbi signifies that Palmeiras inspire dread in their rivals, a rivalry ignited by the 3-0 win on 6 May 1917.

Source: Nosso Palestra

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”