Pepe Reina, the former Liverpool, Napoli and Barcelona goalkeeper, has announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2024-25 season, bringing to a close a remarkable playing career that has spanned over two decades and nearly 1,000 matches.
Now 42, Reina has confirmed that this campaign will be his last, as he prepares to hang up his gloves and pursue a new path in coaching. The Spaniard, who has made 12 appearances for newly-promoted Serie A side Como this season — 11 of them in the league — is expected to bow out in dramatic fashion, with Como’s final match of the season set to be a potential title decider against Inter Milan on Friday night.
Speaking to Movistar, Reina reflected on his long and storied career. “A beautiful career is ending, a complete life,” he said. “I feel very lucky for what I’ve experienced — it’s been a lot of years. I didn’t expect it, but I think the time has come and I want to end it here.”
The former Spain international admitted that retirement was not always the plan, having felt he still had something to contribute following his departure from Villarreal last summer. “There was a moment where I had a hard time last summer because I couldn’t find a project that excited me,” he revealed. “I had more to offer and this year has been the one that has made me see that I’m done now, in the sense that I no longer have much to offer from this position.”
Reina joined Como ahead of the 2024-25 season after a short spell without a club, reuniting with former international teammate Cesc Fàbregas, who is currently in charge of the Serie A outfit. The pair were part of the Spain squads that famously won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, cementing their place in football history.
The Madrid-born shot-stopper began his career in the youth ranks at Barcelona before going on to represent a host of top European clubs, including Villarreal, Liverpool, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Milan, Aston Villa, and most recently Como. In total, Reina has amassed 953 appearances at club level and earned 35 caps for the Spanish national team.
While Reina’s next destination remains uncertain, he has made it clear that his future lies in coaching. However, he indicated that he is likely to begin his new chapter at youth level due to a lack of formal coaching qualifications.
“I am very lucky — it has been a privilege,” Reina said. “Now it’s time to give back, in a different way.”
His departure from the pitch will mark the end of one of the most enduring careers in modern football, with Friday’s match at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia set to be a fitting farewell for one of the game’s most respected figures.