The naturalized Portuguese Brazilian did not hide his happiness after winning at home to Juventus for the Champions League
Defender Pepe had a spectacular performance and it was decisive for Porto to qualify against Juventus for the quarterfinals of Champions League.
After the game, in an interview with TNT Sports , praised the “humility” of the Portuguese team that played a large part of the match with one less and highlighted the defensive work of the team.
“It’s very pleasant (qualification) when we work the way we did. We are a very compact team. We had the humility to go down the lines, because we respect Juventus. It’s a great team, full of great players. The team knew how to suffer when “He had to suffer, but always in order to score a goal, because we knew he would qualify us. Our team must be congratulated for the work they have done today,” he said.
Asked if porto could continue to eliminate the giants from champions, Pepe he asked, his feet on the ground.
“We are doing very well Champions League. Our group stage has surpassed excellence. Now, go game by game. The most important thing is to be humble and recognize when the opposing team is at the top of the game. Lines and we work as a team, “he said.
“This is Porto’s identity. It’s a team of determination and passion. We players always have to feel that. When it’s like that, it’s nice to see a humble team working together. That’s what happened today,” he added. .
The naturalized Portuguese Brazilian also lamented the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo, his close friend from the days of Real Madrid and Portugal, was again eliminated at the beginning of the Champions League.
“Yes, it is a pity … He is a person for whom I have great affection. But in this competition, as in all, only one can win,” he said.
Finally, Pepe was asked about his impressive vitality. At the age of 38, he performed at the Juventus Stadium, commanding Porto’s defensive line in exhaustive overtime.
Born in Alagoas (a state in Brazil located in the northeast of the country), he revealed that the secret comes from there.
“It’s a lot of Northeast appetite!” he joked with a laugh.