Pepe is the oldest player in the Champions League knockout fights! How many games has the Portuguese already played in this competition?

As captain, Pepe led Porto to their 120th Champions League match. Although his team failed to progress through a penalty shootout, Pepe was able to celebrate at least partially. He became the oldest player in Champions League history. On the day of the match, the Portuguese was 41 years and 15 days old.

Pepe’s career

In 2007, Real Madrid bought the boisterous Portuguese for 30 million euros. He donned the White Ballet jersey with his compatriots Fabio Coentrao and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others. At Real Madrid, he formed the most feared stopper duo with Sergio Ramos, a pair that virtually everyone was afraid to play against.

Pepe is most famous for his often brutal fouls on opponents and for his aggressive displays on the pitch. He spent 10 years of his rich career in Spain. He has three Champions League titles, three Spanish Super Cups and many other team awards to his credit.

After his stint at Real Madrid, Pepe embarked on a Turkish adventure in a Besiktas jersey. However, the Portuguese didn’t last long in Turkey and after only a year and a half, he terminated his contract with the club and became a player of Portuguese Porto. Since then, he has celebrated winning three titles with Porto, winning one more with the club before leaving for Real Madrid.

Throughout his career, Pepe has been accused of aggressive reactions, which he has shed with age. In recent years, the stopper has calmed down and is no longer the tricky player he was in his glory days. In any case, he has seen an incredible 190 yellow cards and 9 red cards in his club career.

Let’s not forget Pepe’s national team career, which was crowned by Portugal’s victory at Euro 2016 in France. He made his debut at the national level in 2007 and hasn’t missed too many national team reunions since then.

In 134 games, he has received 27 yellow cards and 2 red cards. Most memorable is the red card for a header to the face of Thomas Müller. According to his words, he will end his national team career on the same day as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Pepe among the goalkeepers

Against Arsenal, Pepe became the oldest player in Champions League history in terms of field players. In fact, there are only goalkeepers ahead of him for whom longevity is more common and, in a way, more normal. Mark Schwarzer caught a duel in 2014 against Atlético Madrid at 41 years and 206 days.

The podium is occupied by Olexandr Shovkovskiy, who started the duel with Napoli in the colours of Dynamo Kiev at 41 years and 266 days.

In an imaginary second place is the ageless Gianluigi Buffon. He was 42 years and 315 days old in the December 2020 match against Barcelona. However, the oldest by far is Marco Ballotta, who started the 2007 match against Real Madrid for Lazio at the age of 43 years and 252 days.

Source: Champions League