Real Madrid defender Pepe says the players respect the opinions of the fans and it is up to them to perform on the pitch to turn the relationship around again.
Los Blancos beat Real Sociedad 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon but the game was closer than the scoreline suggests.
The visitors dominated possession for large periods, particularly in the second half, and at just 2-1 down, the game could have gone either way. Lucas Vasquez’ 86th minute goal was met with a huge sigh of relief at the Santiago Bernabeu to secure the three points.
With the hosts below par and boss Rafa Benitez under immense pressure dues to speculation surrounding his future, plenty of jeers and whistles could be heard from the stands.
And Pepe said the players need to improve and make Madridistas proud of the way they perform.
“The crowd got behind us. It’s to be expected that they complained when we dropped our intensity a little bit in the second half, coinciding with Real Sociedad’s goal. The fans call the shots and we respect that. It’s down to us to play, do our job and honour the shirt that we pull on, so as to ensure we send the fans away happy. The main thing was to get the win. We’re keeping on working hard and improving in every game,” he told reporters.
And he added: “We’re professionals, we have to deal with criticism. We get talked about a lot but we have to focus on doing our job well. Hopefully 2016 brings better fortunes and it’s a good year for everyone. Everyone’s opinions have to be respected.”
