Pepe Reina
Who was Pepe Reina?
Spanish goalkeeper who won the World Cup in 2010 and European Championship in 2008 and 2012 with Spain's national team. He played for top clubs including Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Napoli during his career.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Pepe Reina (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
José Manuel Reina Páez, known as Pepe Reina, was born on August 31, 1982, in Madrid, Spain. The son of Miguel Reina, a well-known goalkeeper who played for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, Pepe was surrounded by football from a young age. He honed his skills in the Barcelona youth academy before stepping into professional football, debuting in La Liga in the 2000–01 season. In 2002, he moved to Villarreal, where he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice and became one of the most promising goalkeepers in Spain.
Reina's move to Liverpool in 2005 was a crucial part of his club career. He made his debut in the UEFA Super Cup, which Liverpool won, and quickly established himself as the team's first-choice goalkeeper. While in England, he won the FA Cup, notably saving three of four penalties in the final against West Ham United, and the FA Community Shield. He made over 200 Premier League appearances in his first five seasons, recording 108 clean sheets in 219 games and hitting his 100th clean sheet milestone in the 2010–11 season. In 2007, he played in the UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool, echoing his father's achievement in 1974, but Liverpool lost to AC Milan.
After eight seasons as Liverpool's top goalkeeper, Reina moved to Napoli on loan for the 2013–14 season, reuniting with manager Rafael Benítez, who had first signed him for Liverpool. He helped Napoli win the Coppa Italia in 2014. He then transferred to Bayern Munich, backing up Manuel Neuer, before permanently returning to Napoli in 2015. He stayed in Naples until 2018 when he joined AC Milan. In January 2020, he went on loan to Aston Villa and then moved to Lazio in Serie A that August. After two seasons with Lazio and a return to Villarreal, he joined Como in 2024, where he ended his professional career.
Internationally, Reina was part of a golden era for Spanish football. He played as a squad member and backup goalkeeper during Spain's dominant period, contributing to the national team's UEFA European Championship wins in 2008 and 2012 and the FIFA World Cup victory in 2010. His reliability and professionalism made him a valued part of the team for over a decade. In recognition of his contributions to football and Spanish sport, he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in 2011 and the Medal of Andalusia in 2009.
Before Fame
Pepe Reina was born into a football-loving family in Madrid in 1982. His father, Miguel Reina, was a well-known goalkeeper who played for clubs like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid and appeared in the 1974 UEFA Champions League final. With such a close connection to the sport, Pepe was drawn to being a goalkeeper from a young age and joined the youth academy at Barcelona, one of the top development systems in world football.
His early years at Barcelona helped build his technical skills, but it was his move to Villarreal in 2002 that gave him regular first-team experience at a competitive level. At Villarreal, he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice and caught the attention of major clubs across Europe. By the time Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez signed him in 2005, Reina had gained enough experience and maturity to handle one of English football's most demanding positions.
Key Achievements
- FIFA World Cup winner with Spain in 2010
- UEFA European Championship winner with Spain in 2008 and 2012
- FA Cup winner with Liverpool in 2006, saving three penalties in the final shootout
- Coppa Italia winner with Napoli in 2014
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, awarded in 2011
Did You Know?
- 01.Reina saved three out of four West Ham United penalties in the 2006 FA Cup final, directly contributing to Liverpool's victory in the shootout.
- 02.His father Miguel Reina reached the European Cup final in 1974 with Atlético Madrid, and Pepe matched that feat in 2007 with Liverpool, making them one of the few father-son pairs to both appear in European Cup or Champions League finals.
- 03.He recorded 108 clean sheets in his first 219 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, a rate that placed him among the most reliable goalkeepers in the history of the competition.
- 04.Reina won the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice with Villarreal before he was 22 years old, giving him European silverware early in his career.
- 05.He joined Como in 2024 as the Italian club returned to Serie A after a long absence, finishing his career in one of football's more storied romantic returns to the top flight.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit | 2011 | — |
| Medal of Andalusia | 2009 | — |