Veteran Portugal defender Pepe has rejoined FC Porto on a two-and-a-half-year deal, 12 years after departing for Real Madrid having enjoyed arguably the most successful spell in the club’s history, winning three league titles, three Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cups among other major trophies, with some coming under the tutelage of former Manchester United and Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho.
The 35-year-old spent three seasons at the Estadio do Dragao, winning two league titles, before a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu. Capped 103 times by his country and among the team that won the country’s first major trophy following their triumph over host nation, France, at the 2016 European Championship, Pepe also won two Copa Del Rey titles and one UEFA Super Cup.
He joined Turkish side Besiktas in 2017 but was a free agent after leaving in December due to the club’s inability to afford the wages of some of its highest paid stars. Pepe’s return to FC Porto sees him reunite with former Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas, with the defending champions six points clear at the top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga