- Pepe Reina has announced his retirement at age 42 after a 26-year professional career
- He has made over 1000 appearances for clubs like Liverpool, Bayern, and Barcelona
- Reina was part of Spain’s golden generation, winning two Euros and a World Cup
Key Takeaways:
Spanish veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina is retiring from professional football after a career that lasted two and a half decades. The long-time Spain international, who has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe – Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Milan – steps away from the game at 42 years of age.
🧤 Former #LFC goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, will retire from professional football after Como's final game of the season against Inter Milan on Friday
🔴 The 42-year-old, who played 394 games for the Reds, keeping 177 clean sheets, won the FA Cup, League Cup and European Super Cup… pic.twitter.com/sAftDkUNhh
— BBC Sport Merseyside (@bbcmerseysport) May 20, 2025
His professional debut came in 1999 for Barcelona’s third team, followed by appearances for the reserves and eventually the first team of the Catalan club. He then embarked on a long journey across the continent. Apart from the already mentioned sides, he also featured for Villarreal and Napoli (with two stints at each), Aston Villa, Lazio, finishing his career at Como.
Reina’s longest stay was at Liverpool, where he made 394 appearances between 2005 and 2013. The Champions League final defeat in 2006/07 remains a bitter memory, but he still managed to collect the FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, and UEFA Super Cup with the Reds. He also had success with Villarreal, lifting the Intertoto Cup in two consecutive summers. With Napoli, he won the Coppa Italia and celebrated a Bundesliga title during his time at Bayern.
He was part of Spain’s most successful era in international football, being in the squad that won Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012. Reina earned 36 caps for La Roja from 2005 to 2017. He was voted Premier League Goalkeeper of the Year for three straight seasons from 2005 to 2008. This season, he has played 12 matches for Como under his former teammate Cesc Fabregas.
His final tally stands at 956 club matches, and when adding his appearances for Spain at all levels, the total surpasses 1000. Just months before turning 43, Jose Manuel Reina Paez waves goodbye to his professional career.