"We must thank God for living with them" - Porto manager hails Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammate's longevity in football

FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe for their tremendous longevity.

Pepe, 41, remains a formidable force in Porto's defence. The ex-Real Madrid defender has played 32 matches this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Despite his age, Pepe seems strong and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.

Ahead of Porto's Liga Portugal home clash against Famalicao, Conceicao hailed the 136-time Portugal cap winner in high regards, saying (via Bola Na Rede):

"Many years will pass and there will not be another 41-year-old as competent as Pepe, as competitive with as much quality. I am not giving cheap morals. I see examples with Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo, of a game played with lot of emotions and passion."

Conceicao continued:

"They have long careers, with three Champions Leagues and they are connected to the game... We must thank god for living with them. I would like to last another 140 years to catch figures like these and I am living this story with Pepe, as I lived with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"They give shine to what has no shine at all and the brilliance is not put out there, fantastic careers with competitions won and unusual longevity."

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has also been going in full throttle at the moment. The 39-year-old is wreaking havoc at Al-Nassr, scoring 36 goals and providing 12 assists in 37 matches across all competitions.

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When Pepe named Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest of all time

During their professional careers, Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the pitch more often than not. They played for Real Madrid together for several years.

Ronaldo and Pepe share a close bond and in 2021, the defender named the former as the greatest of all time. He told TNT Sports:

"For me, he is the greatest player of all time. Ronaldo managed to do what no one else did. He won in England, Spain, Italy, and even in Portugal. He was our captain, many people criticize him without knowing who he really is."

Pepe is the player that Ronaldo has shared the pitch with most during his career, playing 343 games as teammates.