Pepe was influential as Real Madrid reached the Champions League final but he says his future was uncertain under ex-coach Rafael Benitez.
Real Madrid center back Pepe claims former coach Rafael Benitez told him he was not needed at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Benitez endured an unhappy seven-month spell in the Spanish capital before he was replaced by club great Zinedine Zidane in January.
During Benitez's tenure, defender Pepe was often overlooked in favor of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
However, the 33-year-old, who has been at Madrid since 2007, has been an integral player in the team's renaissance over the past few months and played a crucial role as it beat Manchester City 1-0 on Wednesday to set up a Champions League final versus city rival Atletico Madrid.