Real Madrid Fans Want Marcelo, Not Ronaldo, to Captain Club If Duo Leave

Real Madrid could very well be looking for a new captain this summer.

The club's current captain is Iker Casillas, with Sergio Ramos the vice-captain, but both players have been heavily linked to moves away from the club, according to separate AS reports (h/t ESPN FC's Adriana Garcia). 

That would leave an opening for captain and, according to Marca, the majority of fans believe Marcelo should take the armband if the experienced Spanish duo leave. 

Real Madrid have a tradition of given the captaincy to the club's most senior player, and it is a policy most fans want to uphold, despite Cristiano Ronaldo also looking like a natural successor. 

The paper conducted a poll that revealed: 

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In the event that both Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos were to leave this summer, some 61.4% of the almost 6,000 respondents would prefer Marcelo to inherit the captaincy, rather than Cristiano Ronaldo assuming the mantle.

The majority of our readers seemingly put greater stock in the Brazilian's years of service, having been a member of the first-team squad since January 2007, than in Cristiano's general clout. It is worth remembering that Ronaldo only moved to the Bernabéu in the summer of 2009.

However, 38.6% of the poll participants believe that the Ballon d'Or holder should be the next in line as captain in recognition of his sensational performances over the last six years.

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Either way, if Casillas and Ramos leave, it is likely the club will be captained by a non-Spanish player for only the second time in history. 

Marca notes Mexican Jose Ramon Sauto (1942-44) has been the only foreigner to hold this honour. 

[Marca]