Slept with his mom until 18, defended Casillas, and turned to charity—hard to believe, but it’s about Pepe!

Pepe earned a reputation as a monster on the field due to his aggressive style. Still, off the pitch, the Portuguese defender is entirely different. It's hard to believe, but the man who holds 16 red cards once slept in the same bed as his mom until he was 18. Seven years later, Pepe joined Real Madrid and actively pushed for his national team friend Cristiano Ronaldo to sign with the club. The transfer happened, and Cristiano was so grateful to his friend that he even named his favorite bald cat after Pepe.

Feeling touched already? There’s more. In the early 2010s, José Mourinho criticized Iker Casillas and essentially sidelined his career in Madrid. Pepe wasn’t afraid to stand up for his captain, publicly stating that Mourinho’s comments were out of line and that Casillas deserved respect. Twelve days later, Mourinho resigned. Fast forward to 2019, Pepe and Casillas played together at Porto, where the goalkeeper suffered a heart attack. Pepe was distraught, offered his full support, and thanked God when Iker’s health stabilized.

Pepe’s favorite activity, however, is charity work. Once, he purchased 9 tons of food and personally distributed it to migrants. When Besiktas terminated his contract due to financial issues, Pepe left a parting gift by giving money to employees whose salaries had been delayed. In October, he began investing in diabetes research and sponsoring young talent in science. One of his scholarships, worth €18,000, was awarded to a Portuguese Institute of Oncology researcher.

Now that Pepe has retired, he’ll have more time for good deeds.

Published by Patrick Jane
18.11.2024