A former defensive stalwart of La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid is reportedly set to make a return to the club in the coming months.

The player in question is none other than Pepe.

The Portuguese centre-back, who represented Real Madrid between 2007 and 2017, enjoyed some of the most successful years of his long career at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Now aged 43, Pepe retired from professional football in 2024 after concluding his career with a final stint at Porto.

However, according to recent reports emerging from the Spanish media, the veteran defender may not be staying away from the game for too long.

As reported by Real Madrid insider Jorge C Picon, citing journalist Ramón Álvarez de Mon, ahead of José Mourinho’s expected return to the Bernabéu:

“Pepe is close to joining José Mourinho’s technical staff at Real Madrid.”

— Conor Laird, GSFN

Published on: 8 June 2026