After brief spell in Suwon Samsung Bluewings, he joined Académica de Coimbra in January 2005, for US$1.8 million transfer fee.
[1] The two seasons spent in Académica de Coimbra were probably the highest point, so far, in Marcel's career: he managed to score 13 goals, saving the club from relegation in the second season and catching the eye of Portuguese big teams such as Benfica and Porto.
Upon his return, Marcel was loaned once more, this time around to the Brazilian side São Paulo for another year.
On 19 December, Marcel was released from Grêmio and Benfica loaned him for another season, this time for the J1 League side Vissel Kobe.
[2][3] Rumors around his return to Benfica have started to appear around Portuguese sports journals due to his success in Japan and because of the confirmation that the club's coach Jorge Jesus would bring another striker in January to suppress the shortage of pure centre-forward players on the squad.