"End of an era", "Football isn't producing defenders like this anymore" - Fans react as Real Madrid legend Pepe announces retirement

Former Real Madrid defender Pepe announced his retirement from football at the age of 41 on Thursday, August 8. The former Portugal international took to social media to announce his decision to call it quits on an illustrious career.

He announced his retirement by posting a farewell video on his Instagram handle. In the clip which was captioned "Thank You", the Portuguese held the Euro trophy, and other major trophies which he won were also displayed.

Pepe's retirement comes following his outing with Portugal at Euro 2024, where he became the oldest player to feature at the European Championship. He made four appearances for A Selecao who were eliminated by France in the penalty shootout (3-5) in the quarter-final.

The Portuguese legend was one of the best centre-backs of his generation and was known for his aggressive and resilient style of defending. He retires as one of the most decorated defenders in football having won 34 trophies for club and country.

He achieved multiple successes playing for top European clubs such as Real Madrid and Porto. Most notably, he also won the European Championship and UEFA Nations League with Portugal in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

Following his announcement, fans took to social media to pay tribute to Pepe for his services over the years.

One fan posted:

"End of an era."

A second fan wrote:

"Football isn't producing defenders like this anymore. Happy Retirement Pepe. Legend of the game."

A third fan added:

"We would miss you Pepe."

Below are more reactions that followed Pepe's retirement announcement:

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A brief summary of Pepe's career

The former centre-back was born in Brazil but chose to represent Portugal instead on the international stage. He began his career playing for boyhood club Corinthians Alagono before moving to Portugal to play for Martimo in 2002.

In 2004, he joined Portuguese giants FC Porto where he won consecutive league titles. His performances earned him a move to Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid in 2007. He established himself as one of the most formidable defenders in Europe with Los Blancos.

The former defender spent 10 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, registering 334 appearances. He won three La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League, two Copa del Reys, and two FIFA Club World Cup titles, among other honors.

He also enjoyed a brief spell in the Turkish league joining Besiktas in 2017 on a free transfer. After just a season in Turkey, he moved back to Porto where he played until hanging his boots.

On the international stage, he made 141 appearances for Portugal winning the Euros in 2016 and the Nations League in 2019. Overall he made a total of 878 appearances for club and country, registering 50 goals and 40 assists.