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| Wednesday, 01 July 2009 22:05 |
Real Madrid’s Pepe: Other teams should be afraidDefender delighted with summer arrivals Portuguese international Pepe will begin next season on the sidelines as he serves the final four matches of his suspension. However, the Brazil-born defender is expected to be a key component of Florentino Perez’s revolution at the Bernabeu, and Pepe has been casting his eye over Los Merengues’ close season recruits.Real had already signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Raul Albiol before announcing a 40m euro deal for French forward Karim Benzema this afternoon, and Pepe is thrilled with the quality of players arriving in the Spanish capital. Brazilian superstar Kaka, drafted in from Italian giants Milan, was presented to the media in front of 50,000 Madrid fans this week, with Ronaldo expected to receive a similar welcome when he is introduced as the world’s most expensive footballer later this week. "It (Kaka's presentation) was incredible," said the former Porto stopper. "He had a great reception and I think he's realised where he is. He is a great footballer and we will also give him a warm welcome to the squad. We weren't surprised by the magnitude of the event because we are aware of the greatness of Real Madrid. This crowd is unique and capable of doing such things for a player. I believe Kaka wants to prove his worth on the pitch. I watched the presentation and I was slightly envious. I am very happy at this club.” Many are already talking about the partnership on the field between Kaka and Ronaldo next season, and Pepe believes Madrid’s rivals have every reason to be concerned at the prospect of the two most expensive footballers in the world representing the same team. “Other teams have reasons to be afraid,” he said. “Kaka is an incredible player, like Cristiano. I think the squad is well balanced. They are two extraordinary, professional footballers that are ready to help the team. We must show them affection on the squad. The rest is up to them. Both players know what they are getting into. They will do their best to prove how great they are.” For Pepe, perhaps the most intriguing arrival will be that of Raul Albiol, the 23-year-old Spanish international defender who will likely form the other half of Real’s central defensive partnership next season. “He is a great centre back who's done a good job at Valencia and on the Spanish national team. I wish him to adapt to us quickly,” Pepe said. “Albiol has a very interesting feature; he likes to keep possession and play with the midfielders. That's important in a centre back. He is also rather strong. He has sufficient quality to play on this team and I think he has a bright future ahead of him at Real Madrid,” he concluded. By Sean Gillen |
Pepe is right that they are fearsome unit with the skill that they possess, but if egos collide and too much skill becomes overkill then other teams will not worry too much