Pepê opens up about row with Vítor Bruno: “My lowest point at FC Porto”

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·29 September 2025

Pepê opens up about row with Vítor Bruno: “My lowest point at FC Porto”

Pepê says he is experiencing «the best season» of his career, something that motivates him to aspire to «the best season of his life» while serving FC Porto, as he revealed in an interview with ESPN Brazil.

The Brazilian has scored two goals and provided one assist at the start of the season, already performing better than last season: «Many things happened last season, things that ended up influencing me not to have a good year. I tried to clear my head to return to being the usual Pepê: cheerful, spontaneous, playful, and who loves playing football. It's all reflected now on the field, and the numbers show that.»

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Regarding the less successful period in 2024/25 – six goals and four assists in 46 games – the athlete admits having difficulty identifying the causes of this decline.

«I was a bit more closed off last season, I can't exactly explain the reasons, but I felt things weren't going very well for me. I didn't have a good pre-season, and the first games didn't help me either. All of this affected my mind. I became more closed off, I stopped being myself.»

One of the most discussed episodes of the last season was the exchange of accusations between Pepê and Vítor Bruno, after the coach accused him of «self-excluding» from a match.

«It was really my worst moment at Porto. Things happened in a way I didn't imagine, so I ended up acting very emotionally. I'm very sorry for all of that, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I deeply regret what I did.»

Relationship with William Gomes

This season at FC Porto has also been marked by the connection between Pepê and William Gomes, whom the player compares to Galeno.

When asked if William Gomes could be like a «Galeno 2.0», Pepê said: «Galeno? Maybe. William is an incredible player, a very dedicated young man, with spectacular ambition. I think he has a lot to evolve here, a lot to learn in football. He's always in a good mood, ready to learn and work. If the dedication continues, who knows, he could be a phenomenon at FC Porto.»

Pepê recalls that he was signed to FC Porto by Sérgio Conceição, with whom he worked for three seasons and whose influence he greatly appreciates.

«He is very demanding, he's a guy who helped me a lot here. He was the best coach I've ever worked with. He taught me to see football in a completely different way, to understand the game in an incredible way. He is a coach who loves the sport, loves what he does, and loves living this atmosphere. He lives football with a lot of passion and intensity,» he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.