Pepe in Unexpected Move / Former Real Madrid Star's New Role at the Portuguese Football Federation

Pepe is set to begin a new and different role at the Portuguese Football Federation.

According to "Varzesh Se", Pepe changed the football field for the boardroom and became a member of the board of directors of the Portuguese Football Federation Foundation. This defender of the Portuguese national team said goodbye to football in August 2024 at the age of 41 and ended his career of more than two decades at the highest level of football. His name was mentioned to be in the technical staff of Jose Mourinho in Real Madrid and also to work with Georges Jesus in the national team of Portugal, but none of these options came to fruition. In this way, Pepe starts a new activity in the administrative structure of football in his country.

Real Madrid played an important role in shaping his career. Between 2007 and 2017, Pepe wore the shirt of this team for 10 seasons and played in 334 official matches and won 14 championships: three European Champions League championships, three La Liga championships, two Spanish FA Cup championships, one Club World Cup championship, two European Super Cup championships and two Spanish Super Cup championships.

After moving from Porto to the Spanish capital, this Portuguese defender quickly became one of the pillars of Real Madrid's defense and formed a powerful defensive pair with Sergio Ramos. He also worked under the Portuguese coach during all three seasons of Mourinho's stay in Madrid. Speed, physical strength and high ability to read the flow of the game were the main characteristics of Pepe, as well as his ability to intervene in decisive moments. However, his physical and tough style in hand-to-hand combat was not always well received.

Pepe's name in the Portuguese national team is tied to the greatest honor in the history of this team. He played a role in Portugal's Euro 2016 championship, the country's first major championship title. Pepe was also chosen as the best player in the final of that competition against France. He continued to play in the national team until Euro 2024, and at the age of 41 years and 130 days, he became the oldest player to play in a match in the history of the European Nations Cup in the quarter-final match against France.