Real Madrid’s Pepe was lashed like a “world disgrace” and a “public danger” by Spain’s press on Thursday soon after he stamped on Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi’s hand as his group headed to some 2-1 loss.
The sporting press splashed front-page images of Pepe’s stamp on a prostrate Messi during the Spanish Cup quarter-final during the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
“Pepe, a community danger, was the greatest exponent of an impotent and deranged Madrid,” blared the Barcelona-based sports everyday Mundo Deportivo below a photograph on the incident during the 69th minute.
“Heroes,” the Mundo Deportivo’s the front web page mentioned of Barca. “Villains”, it mentioned of Madrid.
Inside, the cardstock showed a picture-by-picture account on the stamping incident, below the headline “World disgrace”.
Madrid everyday Marca, the greatest sports daily, described Pepe as “disgraceful”.
“Pepe again. The Portuguese once more suffered a temporary psychological derangement using a treacherous stamp around the left hand of Messi although the Argentine was around the ground,” Marca said.
In an view piece, the cardstock said: “Pepe’s behaviour was intolerable. Violent, overly aggressive, theatrical and much from what ought to be the attitude of the footballer in top-class competition.”
In a post-match information conference, Madrid instructor Jose Mourinho mentioned he experienced not witnessed the incident but, if intentional, he agreed using a reporter that it could be “reprehensible”.
Madrid’s Ricardo Carvalho, enquired about Pepe’s behaviour soon after the match, by which he performed to the first time in 4 months, said: “Pepe is tough, but he is fresh and loyal.”
Tags: danger, lionel messi, press