Pepe has denied blasting the atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu, although the Besiktas player says his current team’s fans are “completely different.”
However, his legacy in the Spanish capital suffered a blow when it was reported last month that he had said Madrid players needed to “motivate themselves” for games due to the quiet atmosphere at the Bernabeu.
The Portuguese has however said his words had been misunderstood and the criticism he had received had been unfair.
“People did not understand what I wanted to say in an interview I did with UEFA,” Pepe said. “In Spain they killed me for saying the Madrid fans were not good. I didn’t want to say that, I wanted to say they were different, fans here experience the game in a completely different way.”
Pepe then went on to further praise the supporters at Besiktas’ Vodafone Arena, saying he was happy to now go to work in such an atmosphere.
“When I get home after games, and go to bed, I can still hear the noise,” he said. “You have to experience it to know what it’s like, and I am thankful to be here.”
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