{"id":300480,"date":"2023-12-19T09:24:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T09:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=300480"},"modified":"2023-12-19T09:24:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T09:24:55","slug":"pepe-sent-off-for-16th-time-in-career-after-wildly-lashing-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/soccer\/pepe-sent-off-for-16th-time-in-career-after-wildly-lashing-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Pepe sent off for 16th time in career after wildly lashing out"},"content":{"rendered":"
Pepe was sent off as Porto lost a crunch Primeira Liga clash with Sporting CP on Monday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old – known as one of football’s hot-headed figures – was dismissed early in the second half after lashing out at Sporting wing-back Matheus Reis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reis crashed into the back of Pepe as he positioned the ball for a free-kick in his own half and the defender swung his arm out, catching his opponent in the face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pepe looked furious as Reis collapsed to the floor holding his face and after a VAR check, the Porto centre-back was sent off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After receiving his marching orders for the 16th time in his career, he sarcastically clapped the referee and laughed to himself.<\/p>\n
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Pepe was sent off after lashing out at Matheus Reis, who had crashed in to the back of him<\/p>\n
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It was the 16th time Pepe has been sent off in his career- and the second this campaign<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
While he might claim to have retaliated for Reis steaming in to the back of him, it is hard to justify swinging his arm into the Sporting man’s face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Porto were already 1-0 down after Viktor Gyokeres’ first-half opener, but within ten minutes of Pepe’s maverick moment, the deficit had doubled after Pedro Goncalves’ goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Pepe’s second sending-off of the season after his dismissal in Portugal’s version of the Community Shield – the Supertaca – against Benfica.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Porto sit third in the Portuguese top flight, three points behind Sporting and two behind Benfica after 14 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n Pepe is in his sixth season back at the Portuguese giants and is targeting a fifth title with them, having spent a stint at the club earlier in his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last season they missed out on the Primeira Liga crown by two points as Benfica reclaimed it.<\/p>\n This year looks primed for another close tussle between the country’s big three, while Braga are not out of the mix as they are only two points behind Porto.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n