When Pepe strode across the field towards Thomas Müller, bent down and nudged his head into the face of the German striker, I was really pissed off. I had been looking forward to the game all day and Pepe’s reaction had killed the contest. The most frustrating part of it was that it wasn’t even instinctive, it was calculated. Had Pepe been aiming to incapacitate Müller then it was a truly weak effort, serving more as a brush than a butt. However, he must’ve known the consequences – an inevitable red card, a defeat in the opening game and a ban for the rest of the tournament. Portugal are out.

It’s not easy to understand footballers sometimes. For the average football fan, our dream is their reality. Some may dream about the money, the cars and the girls but me? I dream about playing football every day, performing my craft…