Pepe (footballer, born 1983)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira | ||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Real Madrid | ||
Number | 3 | ||
Youth career | |||
1995–2001 | Corinthians-AL | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2002 | Marítimo B | 10 | (1) |
2002–2004 | Marítimo | 63 | (3) |
2004–2007 | Porto | 64 | (6) |
2007– | Real Madrid | 95 | (3) |
International career‡ | |||
2007– | Portugal | 37 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:02, 14 January 2012 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2011 |
Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira (born 26 February 1983), commonly known as Pepe, is a footballer who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga, mainly as a central defender. Born in Brazil, Pepe is a Portuguese international.
Club career
Marítimo
Born in Maceió, Alagoas, Pepe started playing football with local Sport Club Corinthians Alagoano. At the age of 18, alongside teammate Ezequias, he moved to Portugal and signed with C.S. Marítimo in the island of Madeira, spending the vast majority of his first season with the B team.
Definitely promoted to the main squad for the 2002–03 season, under Russian manager Anatoliy Byshovets, Pepe rarely missed a match, playing in several positions, but was most regularly deployed as an attacking midfielder.
During the pre-season of 2003–04, Pepe was given permission to train with Sporting Club de Portugal for two weeks, after which a deal could be negotiated for his transfer. However, neither club could agree on terms and the move broke down, with the player returning to help Marítimo finish sixth and qualify to the UEFA Cup, having contributed with one goal in 30 games.
Porto
During the summer of 2004, Pepe signed with Primeira Liga giants F.C. Porto for €1 million plus three players: Tonel, Evaldo, and Antonielton Ferreira. A clause in the agreement also stated that Marítimo would receive 20% of any future transfer fee.
In his first season, with Spanish coach Víctor Fernández at the helm, Pepe was mostly used as a backup, playing under veterans Pedro Emanuel, Jorge Costa, and utility defender Ricardo Costa. However, in the following year, under the guidance of Co Adriaanse, he had a breakthrough season, establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the domestic competition: the Dutch often chose a 3–4–3 offensive system, with the Brazilian often pitched as the only natural stopper; Porto eventually won back-to-back leagues and the 2006 Taça de Portugal.
Real Madrid
On 10 July 2007, Real Madrid signed Pepe to a five-year contract, for a fee of €30 million.[1] On 15 March 2008, he scored the only (own) goal in a 1–0 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña.[2] Eight months later, he was involved in a fight during training with teammate Javier Balboa.[3] The defender would be nonetheless called-up for Real's next match, whereas the winger was not. As the Merengues were eventually crowned La Liga champions, he delivered a Man of the match performance in a 1–0 win at FC Barcelona, almost single-handedly stopping the opposition's attacks.[4]
Pepe would be constantly hampered by injuries throughout 2008–09. Furthemore, on 21 April 2009, he was involved in an incident with Getafe CF's Javier Casquero: with the score at 2–2 and only a few minutes to play, he brought down the midfielder in the penalty area, being subsequently sent off. He then proceeded to kick the fallen opponent twice, once on his shin and once on his lower back. When being pulled away from Casquero, he also pushed his head into the turf and stamped on him several times. In the ensuing melee he also struck another Getafe player, Juan Albin, in the face. Eventually he received a 10-game ban, which effectively ended his season.[5]
During the 2009–10 season, Pepe returned to claim his place back in the starting line-ups. On 4 October 2009, he scored his first goal in the league, against Sevilla FC at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, heading home from a Guti free kick in a 1–2 loss. On 12 December, however, during a game at Valencia CF (2–3 win), he landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge, and was stretchered off the pitch in the dying minutes of the first half. Scans later showed that he ruptured his right knee's anterior cruciate ligament,[6] going on to miss the rest of the season and jeopardizing his FIFA World Cup chances.
In 2010–11, Pepe was joined at Real Madrid by countrymen Ricardo Carvalho and manager José Mourinho, pairing up with Carvalho to form one of the most efficient defensive sectors in the league. On 2 October 2010, Diario AS published an article where the player was reportedly open to leave the club on a Bosman transfer.[7] According to the newspaper, "when he signed for Real Madrid in 2007, he sacrificed a part of his salary to pay for his huge transfer fee. This made him one of the lowest earners at the club, making €1.8 million a year.[8] Again, he missed several games due to injury (calf)[9] and, after exhausting negotiations,[10] finally put pen to paper on a new contract, renewing his link to the club until 2015.[11]
Pepe spent the final stretch of the season appearing as a defensive midfielder, as Real Madrid faced Barcelona four times in less than one month. On 27 April 2011, in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, he was sent off for a controversial late challenge on Daniel Alves, in an eventual 0–2 home loss.[12]
On 12 July 2011, Pepe extended his contract again, until 2016.[13] On 6 November, he broke the 1–1 home draw against CA Osasuna, in an eventual 7–1 win.[14]
In a Copa Del Ray first leg tie against Barcelona on 18th January 2012, Pepe was seen to stamp on the hand of Lionel Messi whilst he was on the ground after a previous challenge from José María Callejón, in a match that Madrid went on to lose 2-1.
International career
Pepe never represented his native Brazil in any youth category. He received Portuguese citizenship in August 2007 and, on the 30th, was named in the Portuguese squad for the first time, in view of a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Poland.[15] An injury while training for his club prevented the debut for his adopted country, which would materialize almost four months later, in Portugal's last qualifier against Finland (0–0 home draw) on 21 November.
In the tournament's final stages, Pepe played in all of the national side's matches, scoring once in a 2–0 win against Turkey on 7 June 2008.[16] Portugal eventually exited in the quarterfinals.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Pepe was often used as a defensive midfielder by national coach Carlos Queiroz. After his serious knee injury while playing for Real Madrid, he was eventually selected for the squad that participated in the finals in South Africa, appearing against Brazil in the group stage (0–0) and eventual champions Spain in the round of 16 (0–1 loss).
International goals
Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 7 June 2008 | Stade de Genève, Geneve, Switzerland | Turkey | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
2. | 9 September 2009 | Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary | Hungary | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
Club statistics
- As of 14 January 2012.
Club | Season | League | Cup1 | Europe | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Marítimo | 2001–02 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
2002–03 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 30 | 2 | ||
2003–04 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 32 | 1 | ||
Total | 63 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 3 | |
Porto | 2004–05 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
2005–06 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 33 | 3 | |
2006–07 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 34 | 4 | |
Total | 64 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 88 | 8 | |
Real Madrid | 2007–08 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
2008–09 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
2009–10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
2010–11 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
2011–12 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
Total | 95 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 134 | 3 | |
Career total | 222 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 288 | 14 |
1 Includes Supercopa de España
Honours
Club
- Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2005–06, 2006–07
- Taça de Portugal: 2005–06
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005
- Intercontinental Cup: 2004
- Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2007–08
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11
- Supercopa de España: 2008; Runner-up 2011
Individual
References
- ^ Madrid pick up Pepe from Porto; UEFA.com, 10 July 2007
- ^ Deportivo curse strikes again for Real; Soccerway, 15 March 2008
- ^ Balboa y Pepe se pelean durante el entrenamiento (Balboa and Pepe fight during training); Marca, 9 November 2007 Template:Es icon
- ^ Navidades blancas: el Real Madrid apuntilla al Barça (0–1) (White Christmas: Real Madrid kills Barça (0–1)); Diario Critico, 23 December 2007 Template:Es icon
- ^ Pepe receives 10-game ban; Sportsnet, 24 April 2009
- ^ Injury blow for Real Madrid defender Pepe; The Daily Telegraph, 13 December 2009
- ^ Pepe está dispuesto a irse libre en 2012 Pepe está dispuesto a irse libre en 2012 (Pepe willing to leave for free in 2012); Diario AS, 2 October 2010 Template:Es icon
- ^ Pepe nearing Real Madrid exit; Soccer News
- ^ Madrid defender Pepe ruled out with calf injury; USA Today, 7 January 2011
- ^ Madrid hopeful over Pepe deal; ESPN Soccernet, 21 March 2011
- ^ Pepe signs 2015 Real Madrid contract extension; Goal.com, 21 March 2011
- ^ Ten-man Madrid undone by Messi magic; UEFA.com, 27 April 2011
- ^ "Official announcement". Real Madrid's official website. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ "Ronaldo hits hat-trick". ESPN Soccernet. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ Portugal name Pepe in Euro 2008 qualifiers squad; ESPN Soccernet, 30 August 2007
- ^ Pepe joy in Geneva; UEFA.com
External links
- Real Madrid official profile
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- Stats at ForaDeJogo
- BDFutbol profile
- 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
- Pepe at National-Football-Teams.com
- Pepe – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Transfermarkt profile
- Goal.com profile
- Use dmy dates from June 2011
- 1983 births
- Living people
- People from Maceió
- Naturalised citizens of Portugal
- Portuguese people of Brazilian descent
- Brazilian footballers
- Portuguese footballers
- Association football defenders
- Primeira Liga players
- C.S. Marítimo players
- F.C. Porto players
- La Liga footballers
- Real Madrid C.F. players
- Portugal international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- Brazilian expatriate footballers
- Portuguese expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Portugal
- Expatriate footballers in Spain