OPALENICA: A gifted, tough-tackling Brazilian-born centre-back who can also operate as a holding midfielder, Pepe joined Real Madrid in 2007 and obtained Portuguese citizenship shortly afterwards. He appeared for his adoptive country at Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup and arrives at Euro 2012 following a title-winning campaign with the Merengues. Pepe, whose actual name is Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira, left Brazil for the island of Madeira as an 18-year-old, joining Portuguese top-flight club CS Maritimo, with whom he was a popular figure until transferring to FC Porto in 2004 — a year after a move to Sporting Clube de Portugal fell through. A difficult first season with the Dragons was followed by two title-winning campaigns — he scored a career-best four league goals during the latter — in which he became the team’s defensive linchpin. Pepe endured an injury-blighted start to his Madrid career after a 30 million euros transfer in July 2007, but returned to help the Merengues to a crucial 1-0 win at Barcelona and featured prominently in the closing weeks of the title-winning campaign. His 2008-09 season ended prematurely when he received a 10-match ban following an altercation with Javier Casquero and Juan Angel Albin in a 3-2 home win against Getafe. He sustained a right knee injury against Valencia in December 2009 which sidelined him until the following June, when he made his comeback in a friendly before the FIFA World Cup. Pepe made his international debut in Portugal’s last Euro 2008 qualifier — 0-0 against Finland — and impressed sufficiently at the finals in Austria-Switzerland to be included in the Team of the Tournament along with compatriot Jose Bosingwa. — Agencies