In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is de Araújo and the second or paternal family name is Pitaluga. "Filho" is a generational suffix meaning "son", which is used for someone whose name is the same as their father, like "Jr." in English.
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:07, 30 June 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:23, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
Marcelo de Araújo Pitaluga Filho (born 20 December 2002) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Fluminense.
Career
Fluminense
Pitaluga started his career with Brazilian side Fluminense.[2][3][4][5] He was an unused substitute with the first team on four occasions during his time with the club.[6]
Liverpool
In 2020, he signed for Premier League club Liverpool, for an undisclosed fee potentially reaching £2 million.[7][8][9][10] After sporadically being involved in the first team squad as an unused substitute in Premier League and EFL Cup games, Pitaluga made his first appearance at first team level on 25 July 2023, in a 4–4 draw against German side Greuther Fürth in a pre-season friendly.[11]
Loan to Macclesfield
In July 2022, Pitaluga was sent on loan to English eighth-tier club Macclesfield.[12][13] He made 18 league appearances for the club before an ankle injury suffered in November saw him out of action until April 2023.[14] He made a total of 26 appearances in all competitions for the club as they won the 2022–23 Northern Premier League Division One West.[15][16]
Loan to St Patrick's Athletic
On 5 January 2024, Pitaluga signed a new contract with Liverpool and was loaned out to League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic.[17][18][19] His spell at the club proved difficult, with high profile errors in the 2024 President of Ireland's Cup as well as a league game away to Waterford seeing him dropped by manager Jon Daly in favour of Danny Rogers after playing the first four league games of the season.[20][21] On 29 June 2024, newly appointed manager Stephen Kenny confirmed that Pitaluga's loan spell with the club had been cut short after making seven appearances in all competitions in the club's first 29 games of the season.[22]