In a heartwarming gesture Cristiano Ronaldo was ready to sacrifice part of his salary to keep Pepe at Real Madrid.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Pepe and Ronaldo share a close bond Portuguese duo spent several years together at RealPepe revealed unique anecdotes about his friendship with RonaldoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo and Pepe share a deep bond that goes beyond football, having spent years together as teammates for both club and country. Their connection started in Sporting CP’s academy and later strengthened when they reunited at Real Madrid in 2009. The Portuguese duo played together for nearly a decade at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning multiple titles and building an unbreakable camaraderie.
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Pepe's partnership with Sergio Ramos in central defence was widely regarded as one of the best in the world. However, injuries started taking their toll, in 2017, he left the club as a free agent and signed with Besiktas in Turkey. While Real Madrid had already decided not to offer Pepe a new deal, Ronaldo was desperate to keep his close friend at the club. Knowing that financial concerns could be a factor in Pepe’s departure, Ronaldo went as far as offering a portion of his own wages to help convince him to stay.
WHAT PEPE SAID
In an interview with , Pepe recalled the conversation with Ronaldo, where the five-time Ballon d’Or winner attempted to persuade him.
"I talked to him a lot and he told me to stay at Real Madrid," Pepe recalled. "But I think my time at the club had come, because it was a very demanding 10 years, where I gave up a lot of time. I tried to explain to him that I could no longer be there because of the difficulties I was having at the time and he said: 'If it’s about the money, mate, I’ll give up my money to give it to you!' And I said no: 'Thank God it’s not about that, it’s for other reasons'. I also wanted to get back to feeling football, and that’s it, I decided to go to Turkey."
DID YOU KNOW?
One particular moment from 2012 perfectly encapsulates Ronaldo’s loyalty and deep care for Pepe. During a league match against Valencia, Pepe suffered a serious head injury following a collision with goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The defender was subsequently taken to the hospital for medical intervention.
Ronaldo, who played the entire match, was not just concerned about the result—he was deeply worried about his teammate. As Pepe later recalled, Ronaldo spent the entire night at the hospital with his family, offering support and comfort.
"Look, I have a moment with Cris that will never leave my memory," the former defender stated. "Even though I lost my memory, I missed a part of that game. I remember that when I woke up the next day in the hospital, I was still wearing my Real Madrid kit tied to the bed," he added. "Afterwards, I went to ask my family what had happened, to my wife, who was five days away from having my oldest daughter, Angeli, and on the news I saw that Cris had been there in the hospital!
"And I didn't even notice him! And then, of course, my mother was there, also worried because she had come to see the birth of my daughter, my mother and my father. Cris was there practically the whole night with me, with my family. Not with me, with my family, because I was in the room. But he was there, giving me strength and some of the comments he made just show the affection we have for each other."
