Pepe says the support he felt from Unai Emery, now in charge of Aston Villa, was in contrast with what he experienced with his successor Arteta.
Pepe told the Athletic: "I had a call with Carlo Ancelotti, who was the coach of Napoli at the time. It lasted five minutes. Half an hour later, I had another call, this time from Unai Emery. It lasted an hour. He told me exactly what he was looking for, everything he expected from me if I joined Arsenal.
"He talked to me about tactics, what he expected from me, where he was going to play me, how I could improve under his leadership. A lot of detail. And even though he doesn't speak French very well, he spoke to me in French for a whole hour. It was a small thing, but it impressed me. I felt his desire to work with me."
That's why Pepe, then with Lille, joined Arsenal instead of Napoli.
"With Arteta, it wasn't... well, it was good at the beginning. After that, the confidence wasn't really there anymore. I had less and less playing time, so there was a certain frustration. I'm not someone who likes to be on the bench every week without justification or explanation. So yes, it's something that created a certain tension."
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