"I didn’t even notice him” - Pepe on how Cristiano Ronaldo stayed at hospital with his family after ex-Real Madrid defender got hurt in collision

Former Real Madrid and Portugal defender Pepe reminisced about the time his ex-teammate and superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo stayed with him at the hospital after an injury. The 41-year-old claimed that he did not even know that the legendary attacker spent the 'whole night' in the hospital alongside his family.

Pepe and legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas clashed heads during Real Madrid's LaLiga fixture against Valencia in the 2012-13 season. The former came out of the exchange significantly worse, and had to be taken off the pitch during half-time and rushed to hospital.

The game ended 1-1 with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jonas. However, Pepe claimed that the events after the game were truly important and reflective of his bond with Ronaldo.

Speaking to Radio Renascenca in Portugal, Pepe said (via Mirror):

"Look, I have a moment with Cris that will never leave my memory. 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. 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! 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," Pepe added.

Pepe played more games alongside Ronaldo than any other player in his career, with the pair taking the field on 348 occasions for Real Madrid and Portugal. They won several titles together, including three UCL titles and three LaLiga titles with the Merengues and the 2016 EURO and 2019 Nations League titles with Selecao das Quinas.

"'I'll give up my money for you'" - Former Real Madrid defender Pepe reveals Cristiano Ronaldo's words before departure from Bernabeu

Ex-Real Madrid centre-back Pepe has revealed that his former Los Blancos teammate and compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo offered to take a pay-cut in order to keep him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Pepe made 334 appearances for Real, forming a formidable defense alongside Marcelo, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal. However, he left the Spanish capital to join Turkish giants Besiktas on a free transfer at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

In a recent interview with Radio Renascanca, the 41-year-old claimed that Cristiano did not want him to leave the club. He said (via Managing Madrid):

"I talked to Cristiano Ronaldo a lot when it was my time to leave the club, and he told me to stay at Real Madrid. But I think my time at the club had already arrived. Cristiano told me 'If it's for the money, man, I’ll give up my money to give it to you!'"

While Pepe retired in August 2024, Ronaldo is still going strong in the Saudi Pro League despite turning 40 on Wednesday, February 5. He has 23 goals and four assists in 25 appearances for Al-Nassr across all competitions this season.