Portugal ‘legendary defender’ Pepe retires from active duty…Ronaldo “Respect!”
Pepe, 41, the “legendary defender” of the Portuguese national soccer team, has finally hung up his cleats.
The Portuguese Football Association announced on its website on Monday (local time), “Pepe has announced his retirement from active duty at the age of 41. Pepe played his last match for the national team at the European Football Championship (Euro 2024),” the organization said.
Born in Brazil, Pepe’s full name is Kepler Labrão Lima Peheira.
He has the unique distinction of being named by his father after German astronomer Johannes Kepler and French physiologist Charles-Louis Alphonse Labrang, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
After moving to Portugal and signing for Maritim at the age of 18, Pepe made his first-team debut in the 2002-2003 season and quickly established himself as a regular, before moving to Porto in May 2004.
Pepe’s soccer career finally blossomed in July 2007 when he moved to Real Madrid.
In his 10 seasons at Real Madrid, Pepe made 334 official appearances (15 goals) and established himself as one of the best center backs in the world.
Pepe enjoyed his peak in a Real Madrid jersey, winning three La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cups.
Pepe parted ways with Real Madrid in July 2017 when he moved to Besiktas (Turkiye), and in January 2019, he joined Porto to finish his career at his hometown club.
Pepe also has 141 caps (8 goals) for Portugal, ranking third on the country’s all-time caps list behind Cristiano Ronaldo (211) and João Moutinho (144).
Pepe, who made his Portugal debut in 2007, was also a key player in the team’s Euro 2016 and 2018-2019 UEFA Nations League victories.
Most notably, he became the “oldest player to ever play in a Euro tournament” when he appeared in the first round of Euro 2024 against the Czech Republic in June at the age of 41 years and 113 days.
Pepe posted a 33-minute video on his YouTube account to say goodbye to his fans, saying, “I want to leave a big hug of gratitude to everyone who has been with me.”
The news of Pepe’s retirement was not lost on Ronaldo, who has been a longtime collaborator with the national team and Real Madrid.
“Words can’t describe how much Pepe meant to me,” Ronaldo wrote on social media, adding, “I admire you, you are a very special brother. You are a very special brother of mine, thank you for everything.” 온라인카지노사이트
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