Portugal international Pepe has dominated headlines since Wednesday's 2-1 King's Cup quarterfinal first-leg defeat to Barcelona, when television cameras caught him stamping on Lionel Messi's hand while the player was on the ground.

The Madrid-based media, who are normally supportive of Real, were scathing in their criticism of the player.

A video message Pepe recorded for the club's website (www.realmadrid.com), when he said the incident had been unintentional and asked for forgiveness if Messi had felt offended, failed to ease the widespread condemnation.

"For me, the player has spoken, and that's the end of it," Real coach Mourinho told reporters, as he refused to answer a number of questions on the matter.

"If Pepe says publicly that it was intentional and he tells me, it would really annoy me. But he said it wasn't intentional.

"If some of you think he is a liar, say so. If you doubt him, put it to him." Mourinho went on to challenge reporters over their coverage of an incident from last season's bad-tempered Champions League semi-final between the two clubs when Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets was accused of racially abusing Real fullback Marcelo.

"Last season, I didn't see you doubting a player who made racist comments and later said he didn't," Mourinho said, without naming names.

"His coach believed him, everyone believed him, including UEFA said he was telling the truth. Now Pepe says it was unintentional..." Busquets was cleared to play in the Champions League final after UEFA dismissed Real's allegation that he racially insulted Marcelo in the semifinal first leg. UEFA ruled there was a 'lack of strong and convincing evidence'.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola, who held a news conference at the same time as Mourinho, refused to be drawn on his opposite number's comments.

"I don't respond to what my colleagues say in their news conferences," said Guardiola. On Pepe, he said: "If he has said it was unintentional, he will know. If he said it was unintentional, it was unintentional." Local media had speculated that Pepe, who has struggled with a muscle injury recently, would be left out for the Bilbao game at the Bernabeu on Sunday (2030 GMT), and for the Cup second leg in Barcelona next Wednesday, while the furor died down.

"Pepe enters the squad, but we'll see how (his injury) is," Mourinho added.

"I have to call up others to cover his position, and if he doesn't make it, someone else will play."