The Portuguese naturalized Brazilian did not hide his happiness after winning at home to Juventus for the Champions League
Defender Pepe had a spectacular performance and was decisive for Porto to qualify against Juventus in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
After the match, in an interview with TNT Sports , Praised the “humility” of the Portuguese team that played much of the duel with a minus, and highlighted the team’s defensive work.
“It’s very rewarding (the classification) when we work like we did. We are a very compact team. We had the humility to lower the lines, because we respect Juventus. It’s a great team, full of great players. The team knew to suffer when they had to suffer, but always with the aim of scoring a goal, because we knew they would give us the classification. Our team is to congratulate them for the work they did today, “he said.
Asked if the I bring could continue to eliminate giants in the Champions, Pepe asked for feet on the ground.
“We are doing very well Champions League. Our group stage skimped on 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 the identity of Porto. It’s a team of determination and passion. We, the 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 Portuguese naturalized Brazilian also lamented the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo, his close friend from the times of Real Madrid and Portugal, was again eliminated early in the Champions League.
“Yes, it’s a shame … He’s a person I have a lot of affection for. But in this competition, as in all of them, only one can win,” he said.
Finally, Pepe was asked about his impressive vitality. At 38, he gave a show at Juventus Stadium, in command of Porto’s defensive line in 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 scratching!” he joked between laughs.