In the quarter-finals of the European Cup on July 6, Beijing time, the Portuguese team regretted to defeat the French team in the penalty shootout, not to the quarter-finals. After the game, Portugal veteran Pepe accepted an interview, his words are full of regret for the results of the game, respect for his teammates and deep thoughts about the future.
Pepe began by expressing his painful feelings about the result: "It's really painful to lose like this. We put in so much effort, but the result was not what we wanted. Soccer is like that, full of uncertainty and cruelty." He recalled the joy of his team advancing through a penalty shootout four days ago, which contrasted with the loss now, making people wonder about the charm and ruthlessness of soccer.
Despite the unsatisfactory result, Pepe was positive about his team's performance in the match: "We played intelligently in the game and followed the established tactics. Against an opponent that uses a low defense, we tried to open up the width and stick to the attack. Today's game was faster and more open, just like Turkey, who also wanted to play against us. We showed our strength and fighting spirit."
On a personal note, Pepe said he would have liked to continue in the tournament: "That hug meant a lot ...... but this is not the time to discuss it because it was too painful. We'll have a chance to talk about my future afterward. I will have time to think about what to do next." His words reveal a love of soccer and a sense of uncertainty about the future.
When asked if this was his last game for Portugal, Pepe's answer was full of respect for his teammates and for the future: "It's not that that's important. I will talk about my future at another time. The most important thing is to congratulate my teammates, who gave their all in the game and always followed the plan we had for this game. But soccer is cruel like that, it doesn't always go the way we want it to."
Talking about whether his tears had anything to do with anything other than the defeat, Pepe was candid: "Yes, but I will talk about that later. We have to go through this process of pain and sadness now, it's part of it. All of us are here to do our best for the victory and for our country. Obviously we have not been able to give our people the joy of victory, but that's the cruelty of soccer. Five days ago we won on penalties and today we lost. Nevertheless we have to give strength to my teammates because they are on the right path."
Pepe's speech not only expressed his regret for the result of the game and respect for his teammates, but also showed his maturity and stability as a veteran. Although his soccer career may be coming to an end, but he left the Portuguese soccer is not only the wonderful moments of the game but also the never-say-die, the courage to go forward the spirit of Portugal.
