Nine years ago, Marcelo and his family made the big move from Argentina to New Zealand, bringing with them a love of the beautiful game and a strong sense of community.
When the family settled into a home backing directly onto Ellerslie AFC’s Michael’s Avenue ground, an enduring connection with the club was born.
Since then, Marcelo has dedicated his time to anything the club needed: coach, manager, referee, and all-round volunteer whenever an extra pair of hands was needed. He describes it simply as ‘contributing his own small grain of sand’, but his impact runs far deeper than that.
The whole family has caught the bug. Sons Enzo (12) and Ciro (10) both started out at the Under 6 level with Ellerslie AFC and have since worked their way up to the top teams in their respective age groups. Like true Argentines, the family share a passion for the game and lead by example, living by the belief that hard work, dedication, and passion will take you a long way in life.
For Marcelo, though, football has always meant something more than the result on a Saturday afternoon.
“For us, football is much more than just a game. It is a passion. It is about connecting with family and friends, being part of a community, and creating lifelong memories.”
That spirit carries through to Auckland FC, where Marcelo, his wife Maria, Enzo, and Ciro are all a familiar presence on match days, four proud members who can usually be found cheering their team on in bay 21.
