Pepe: I\'m not a killer

Real Madrid\'s bruising centre-back Pepe said on Tuesday that his reputation for on-pitch thuggery is undeserved and that he gets a \"raw deal\" from referees. The Brazil-born Portugal international has found himself in hot water with the Spanish football authorities several times during his five-year career with Madrid. He was banned for 10 matches for lashing out at a pair of Getafe players during a match in April 2009 and was criticised for stamping on the hand of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in a King\'s Cup tie earlier this year. A search for the shaven-headed 29-year-old on video-sharing website YouTube yields a glut of compilations celebrating his uncompromising style, but Pepe feels his on-pitch misdemeanours get blown out of proportion. \"I get a raw deal in 60 percent of games -- if I foul someone, it\'s like I\'ve killed them,\" he said at a press conference ahead of his side\'s Champions League game against Manchester City on Wednesday. \"I think I get a raw deal from referees. But as a professional footballer I have to accept it, and that\'s what I do. \"I roll up my sleeves and I\'m happy to get on with being a professional footballer for Real Madrid.\"