Despite Real Madrid's successful end to 2016/17, Pepe had a much more frustrating finish to the season.

The Portuguese centre-back was plagued by injuries throughout the campaign and missed the final two months with fractured ribs as Zinedine Zidane's men won La Liga and the Champions League.

And now Pepe has revealed he will be leaving the Bernabeu when his contract expires this summer.

The 34-year-old has spent 10 seasons at Los Blancos and made over 300 appearances but the two parties appear to have fallen out quite dramatically during talks over extending his current deal.

In an interview with El Partidazo on Cadena COPE, Pepe announced he would be ending his association with the European champions and is 'annoyed' how discussions played out.

“Madrid didn’t offer me two years,” Pepe said, as per Sport.

“They just offered me one year, so it’s clear that I’m not going to continue with Real Madrid. There are ways of talking and negotiating but the club hasn't acted correctly. That’s annoyed me.

“So I am not going to continue with the club. An era has come to an end and a new one will begin. In fact, I’ve already started the move. Most of my things are in Portugal and I just have my house in Madrid.”

Now his future has been decided, the Portuguese international was able to speak more freely regarding his feelings about the club and hit out at how they reacted to his tax dispute.

He added: “The club didn’t defend me with the tax office issue. You know I have everything up to date but did you see the club defend me?”

However, arguably the most surprising part of the interview came when Pepe was asked who had been the best coach he worked with at Madrid.

Despite being one of the most unsuccessful Los Blancos managers in recent times, remarkably, Rafael Benitez made quite the impression on the out-going Pepe.

“[I] really liked the sincerity of [Rafa] Benitez," he continued.

"I identified a lot with him, even though he didn’t play me at the beginnings.

“Zidane and Benitez are completely different people. I like [Benitez's] way of working. There are some who are enlightened, they may win or lose... but I believe in the work.”

Pepe, who joined Real from Porto in 2007, has been heavily linked with a switch to Paris Saint-Germain but admitted he has also received plenty of offers from England too.

He leaves the club having won three La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, three Champions Leagues and two Club World Cups.