Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has claimed that Pepe spoke against him because the centre-back is frustrated at losing his place to youngster Raphael Varane.

Pepe recently said that his Portuguese compatriot should have shown more respect towards club captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

"It is very easy to analyse what he says," ESPN quotes Mourinho as saying. "His problem has a name - Raphael Varane. He was talking from frustration. It is not easy for a man of 29 years to be blown away by a kid of 19. But the kid is fantastic.

"And who had the courage to put in the kid? Me. So the problem is very simple. Pepe was an undisputed first-choice, he is not any longer. It is one of the few decisions of mine that has not been discussed in public.

"I have no problem with [Pepe]. I understand it is not an easy situation for him. There must be very few people who think that Varane and Sergio Ramos are not the future of Real Madrid."

Varane has made 13 appearances in La Liga so far this season and also featured 11 times in Madrid's Champions League campaign.