Legendary Portuguese defender Pepe has called time on his decorated 22-year career, via 30-minute YouTube video.
The 41-year-old couldn’t resist a self-indulgent goodbye as he sat surrounded by the mass of trophies he won in club football – including three Champions League titles.
The 41-year-old began his professional career in 2001 when he made his debut for Portuguese club Maritimo’s second team.
He would go on to make 521 club appearances in a career that made stops at Maritimo’s senior team, Porto, Real Madrid, Besiktas and finally back to Porto.
The hard-nosed defender also made 141 caps for Portugal’s national team, a figure that puts him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Moutinho as the nation’s most-capped players.
Although Pepe was renowned for his aggressive play and a tendency to pick up bookings, he showed a different side when announcing his retirement.
Pepe revealed the news in a rather self-indulgent method: a 30-minute video uploaded to YouTube.
In fact, it is the only video uploaded to his account, which was only created on the same day of his retirement announcement.
One element of the video shows Pepe watching his career highlights on a projector whilst seated on a stool.
Less than five minutes into the clip, lights beam down on the 34 club trophies he has won throughout his career, which have all been placed on individual plinths.
Pepe then addresses the camera before going around to each trophy and spending a few seconds admiring them.
At the 30-minute mark, Pepe folds away the many jerseys he has worn over his 23-year career into a briefcase before shutting it for good.
Pepe’s last action on a football pitch came at Euro 2024 with Portugal as they bowed out in the quarter-finals to France via penalty shootout.
However, the defender is best known for his 334-game stint with Spanish giants Real Madrid from 2007 to 2017.
During that time, Pepe formed one of the most formidable defensive units seen in modern football alongside Sergio Ramos at the heart of Madrid’s backline.
Pepe went on to win 13 trophies in his spell in the Spanish capital, including three Champions League titles.
He also helped lead Portugal to major tournament success, becoming European champion at Euro 2016 before lifting the Nations League trophy in 2019.
News Summary:
- Pepe announces retirement and says goodbye to fans – with 30-minute long video
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