THE NORMALLY loyal Madrid-based sports papers rounded on Pepe yesterday after the Real Madrid defender stamped on Lionel Messi’s hand during Wednesday’s Copa Del Rey quarter-final first leg defeat by Barcelona.
The behaviour of the Portuguese international, who was playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role, was "shameful" and "intolerable", Marcawrote in an opinion piece, while Ascolumnist Luis Nieto said he deserved "general condemnation" and should be punished.
Pepe, who had been booked for a late tackle on Sergio Busquets, deliberately trod on Messi’s hand about 20 minutes from the end of Barca’s 2-1 comeback win at the Bernabeu in an incident apparently missed by the referee.
His theatrical reaction after tangling with Cesc Fabregas earlier in the second half, when he rolled around clutching his face, also drew criticism. "Violent, with excessive aggression, play-acting and a long way from what the behaviour of a footballer in a high-level match should be," Marcawrote.
“What’s more, his problem is that he is a repeat offender,” the paper added, recalling an incident during the 2008-09 season when Pepe kicked Getafe’s Francisco Casquero while he was on the ground, an action that earned the Portuguese a 10-match ban.
“The Casquero episode cannot now be seen as an isolated one but instead must be viewed as the sad reality of a player who goes beyond over-excited.
“Pepe might be an excellent person away from the pitch – and he is – but someone urgently needs to make him reflect and help him to correct these shameful actions.”
Barca centre back Gerard Pique said it was up to the soccer authorities to intervene. “If they believe that the action went beyond the limit of what should happen on the pitch they are the ones who have to take it forward,” the Spain international said. “I don’t believe that we as a club should be going and asking for a player to be punished.”
A spokesman for the Spanish soccer federation, which organises the Copa Del Rey, said they had no comment.
The outcry over Pepe’s behaviour deflected some of the attention away from Real’s latest failure against Barca, who host their arch-rivals in the second leg next Wednesday (9pm kick-off). The Spanish and European champions’ victory was coach Pep Guardiola’s ninth win in 13 “Clasicos” since he took the helm in 2008 and came on his 41st birthday. His only reverse was in last year’s final, when Cristiano Ronaldo netted an extra-time winner in a 1-0 victory.
Real coach Jose Mourinho, who said Pepe should be punished if the stamp on Messi was deliberate, was also subjected to severe criticism in Marca and As. The manager’s tactic of allowing Barca to dominate possession and rely on swift counter-attacks had proved a failure and should be abandoned, said As.
"Mourinhos latest pirouette was his worst," added Marca. "Spanish football has seen many teams with far fewer resources who have made life more difficult for Barca. And with greater nobility."
