Career Timeline of Pepe Reina: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Pepe Reina, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Pepe Reina is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He most recently played for Serie A club Como. A veteran player, Reina had a lengthy career playing for several high-profile clubs.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1974: His father's Champions League feat

In 1974, Pepe Reina's father achieved the feat of reaching the Champions League final.

1995: Joined Barcelona Youth Academy

In 1995, Pepe Reina began his football career in the youth academy of Barcelona, La Masia.

1999: First-Choice Goalkeeper for Barcelona Reserve

From 1999, Pepe Reina played as a first-choice goalkeeper for the Barcelona reserve side.

1999: UEFA European Under-17 Championship

In 1999, Reina played for Spain's youth team, winning the UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

December 2000: First-Team Debut for Barcelona

On December 2, 2000, Pepe Reina made his debut for the Barcelona first-team as a substitute in a 3–3 draw with Celta de Vigo.

2000: La Liga Debut

In 2000, Pepe Reina made his La Liga debut with Barcelona.

October 2001: UEFA Champions League Debut

On October 31, 2001, Reina made his UEFA Champions League debut in Barcelona's 1–0 group stage win against Fenerbahçe at Camp Nou.

July 2002: Joined Villarreal

In July 2002, Reina joined Villarreal.

2002: Signing for Villarreal

In 2002, Reina signed for Villarreal.

2004: UEFA Cup Semi-Final

In 2004, Villarreal reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup.

July 2005: Signed by Liverpool

In July 2005, Reina was signed by Liverpool from Villarreal.

August 2005: International debut for Spain

On 17 August 2005, Reina made his debut for Spain, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 friendly win over Uruguay.

2005: Senior Debut for Spain

In 2005, Reina made his senior debut for Spain.

2005: Liverpool Debut and UEFA Super Cup Win

In 2005, Reina moved to Liverpool and debuted in the UEFA Super Cup, which Liverpool won.

2006: Cemented Status as Liverpool's Number One

During the 2006-07 season, Reina's status as Liverpool's number-one goalkeeper was further cemented after Jerzy Dudek conceded nine goals in two cup ties against Arsenal.

2006: Member of Spain's World Cup squad

In 2006, Reina was a member of the Spanish squad which reached the last 16 of the World Cup, but did not play.

2006: FIFA World Cup

In 2006, Reina was part of the Spain squad for the FIFA World Cup.

June 2007: New Five-Year Contract with Liverpool

In June 2007, Reina signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool.

2007: Champions League Final

In 2007, Reina reached the Champions League final with Liverpool, matching his father's feat, but Liverpool lost to AC Milan.

October 2008: National record for longest time without conceding a goal

In October 2008, Reina and Casillas together broke the national record for the longest time spent without conceding a goal after defeating Estonia 3–0. The pair went unbeaten for 710 minutes.

2008: UEFA Euro 2008

At UEFA Euro 2008, Reina played the final group match in Salzburg, conceding a goal to Greece's Angelos Charisteas. He was an unused substitute for the final as Spain won 1–0 against Germany.

2009: FIFA Confederations Cup

In 2009, Reina was part of the Spanish squad which reached the semi-finals at the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. His sole appearance was in the last group game, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 win over hosts South Africa.

April 2010: New Six-Year Contract

In April 2010, Reina signed a new six-year contract with Liverpool.

December 2010: Captained Liverpool and 100th Clean Sheet

On December 6, 2010, Reina captained Liverpool in the Premier League in a 3–0 victory against Aston Villa. This clean sheet gave him his 100th in 198 league matches.

2010: FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Reina was named in the squad for the FIFA World Cup and was an unused substitute for the final as Spain were crowned World champions for the first time.

2012: UEFA Euro 2012

In 2012, Reina was also called up for Spain for UEFA Euro 2012 and was on the bench for the final as Spain won 4–0 against Italy.

2012: UEFA European Championship Win

In 2012, Reina was part of the Spain squad that won their third UEFA European Championship.

2012: Rumours of possible Barcelona move

In 2012, rumours suggested that Víctor Valdés was to leave Barcelona for Monaco and Reina was to be his replacement. An agreement was allegedly reached for Reina to sign, but the move didn't happen when Valdés chose to stay at Barcelona for another season.

July 2013: Loan move to Napoli

On 29 July 2013, Reina completed a loan move to Serie A side Napoli, reuniting him with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez.

August 2013: Penalty save against Arsenal

In August 2013, Reina saved a penalty from Lukas Podolski against Arsenal in the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament.

2013: Confederations Cup

In 2013, Reina was also in Spain's squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup, in which they reached the final. His sole appearance in the tournament came in the second group game against Oceanian champions Tahiti, a 10–0 win.

2013: Loan to Napoli

In 2013, Reina was loaned out to Napoli for the 2013–14 season and expressed his disappointment that Liverpool agreed to the loan before informing him. He had made 394 appearances for Liverpool prior to the loan.

May 2014: Coppa Italia win with Napoli

On 3 May 2014, Reina won the Coppa Italia with Napoli after a 3–1 win against Fiorentina.

August 2014: Joined Bayern Munich

On 8 August 2014, Liverpool confirmed Reina had joined the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a three-year deal, bringing an eight-year spell with the club to an end. He wore the number 23 shirt for Bayern.

2014: FIFA World Cup

In 2014, Reina featured at the World Cup.

2014: Coppa Italia Win and Bayern Munich Move

In 2014, Reina won the Coppa Italia with Napoli and then moved permanently to Bayern Munich.

2014: Straight red card after conceding a penalty

In 2014, on 9 May, Reina started a match for Bayern against FC Augsburg as Manuel Neuer was rested. Reina was given a straight red card after 14 minutes when he conceded a penalty with a foul on Raúl Bobadilla.

March 2015: Debut for Bayern Munich

On 14 March 2015, Reina made his debut for Bayern, starting in a 4–0 away win against Werder Bremen. This appearance meant he became the first goalkeeper and Spaniard in history to play in four of Europe's top leagues.

June 2015: Return to Napoli

On 23 June 2015, it was announced that Reina would return to Napoli on a three-year deal, after a one-year spell at Bayern Munich.

2015: Return to Napoli

In 2015, Reina returned to Napoli on a permanent deal.

May 2018: Named in Spain's World Cup squad

In May 2018, Reina was named in Spain's final squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

May 2018: Move to Milan announced

On 15 May 2018, it was announced that Reina would move to Serie A rivals Milan on a Bosman transfer.

July 2018: Official contract with Milan

On 2 July 2018, the deal was officialized and Reina signed a three-year contract with Milan.

2018: FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Reina featured at the World Cup.

2018: Signing for Milan

In 2018, Reina signed for Milan.

April 2019: League Debut with Milan

On 2 April 2019, Reina made his league debut with Milan, coming on as a substitute for Donnarumma in a 1–1 home draw against Udinese.

October 2019: Appearance against Genoa in Serie A

In October 2019, during a 2–1 away win over Genoa in Serie A, Reina was at fault for the opening goal, but he later saved a penalty against the same opponent.

2019: Loan to Aston Villa

In January 2020, Reina joined Premier League side Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the 2019–20 season.

January 2020: Loan to Aston Villa

In January 2020, Reina completed a loan move to Aston Villa.

August 2020: Move to Lazio

In August 2020, Reina returned to Serie A by signing with Lazio.

July 2022: Return to Villarreal

On 8 July 2022, Reina returned to Villarreal on a season-long deal.

January 2023: Became Villarreal's first-choice keeper

In January 2023, after Gerónimo Rulli's departure for Ajax, Reina became the club's first-choice keeper for the rest of the 2022–23 season.

June 2023: Contract renewal with Villarreal

On 22 June 2023, Reina signed a contract renewal, staying at Villarreal for another campaign.

October 2023: Most UEFA club competition appearances by a Spanish player

On 5 October 2023, during Villarreal's 1–0 group stage victory over Rennes, Reina became the Spanish player with the most appearances across UEFA club competitions, with 192, overtaking Iker Casillas.