The centre-back has made it clear that the Merengues must not rely on CR9 alone to deliver the goods.Real Madrid defender, Pepe is confident that the club will return to their glory days with the resurgence of the Galacticos dynasty, and in particular the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese centre-back believes that his compatriot will be able to help Los Blancos rake in silverware, but he warned that the team must always be there to help him.
“He can bring many things to Madrid, certainly titles. But Cristiano can’t do it alone because he doesn’t play by himself and that is something everyone must realise,” he said in an interview with AS.
“He has the whole team behind him and he has to work hard, too. If we are consistent, Cristiano will be able to shine. With his quality, his class and his talent he will help us a lot in fighting for all the titles,” he added.
Pepe then backed up coach, Manuel Pellegrini’s claims that Ronaldo has shown nothing but professionalism since joining training and he does not behave like a megastar.
“It’s normal that people have a distorted image of Cristiano because the press nowadays focus more on the issues off the pitch,” he affirmed.
“But Cristiano is very professional. He is very focused on his football and he follows the timetable exactly. He is a humble man, despite of all his surroundings. He doesn’t lose sight of the fact that he’s from Madeira.”
When asked if there would be any form of envy in the dressing room, Pepe replied, “For the time being, everything is going brilliantly. Everyone jokes around with him and soon, he will integrate fully into his new environment.”
Finally, the 26-year-old spoke about his return to the game following a ten-match ban towards the end of last season when he assaulted opponents, Javier Casquero and Juan Albin.
“I’m still suspended for four more games but that episode is in the past now,” he acknowledged.
“It’s been very difficult for me but I have recovered recently. Plus, I also understand better what happened with Casquero and I am calm about it. I have already apologised to him publicly and I believe that everyone deserves a second chance.
“I am a man who always likes to win and to defend the shirt of Real Madrid till the very end.”
