History of Pepe Reina in Timeline

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

1970: Ray Clemence's Record

In 1970-71, Ray Clemence set a record by conceding 32 goals in his first 50 matches for Liverpool.

1974: His father's Champions League feat

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

1974: Father's appearance in European Cup final

In 1974, Reina's father Miguel Reina was in goal for Atlético Madrid in the 1974 European Cup final, which Atlético lost to Bayern Munich 4–0 in a replay after the first match finished 1–1.

August 1982: Pepe Reina's Birth

On August 1982, José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez was born.

Others born on this day/year

1995: Joined Barcelona Youth Academy

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

1996: David James's Clean Sheet Record

In the 1996-97 season, David James set a Liverpool record of five consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League.

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.

December 2005: Liverpool Record for Successive Clean Sheets

On December 3, 2005, Reina kept his sixth consecutive clean sheet against Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, breaking the Liverpool club record. Reina also broke Liverpool's clean sheet record in all competitions, with 11 between October and December 2005. Mineiro scored past him on December 18, 2005, during the FIFA Club World Cup final.

2005: Reunion with Rafael Benítez

In 2005, Rafael Benítez, the coach who signed him to play for Liverpool, was reunited with Reina when he was on loan at Napoli.

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.

2005: Reina Conceded Fewer Goals

In 2005-06, Reina conceded just 29 goals in his first 50 matches for Liverpool, breaking Ray Clemence's record.

February 2006: Red Card Against Chelsea

On February 5, 2006, Reina was sent off for violent conduct against Arjen Robben in a Premier League match against Chelsea. He received a three-match suspension.

April 2006: 50th Appearance for Liverpool

On April 16, 2006, Reina celebrated his 50th appearance for Liverpool by keeping a clean sheet against Blackburn Rovers. He holds a Liverpool record for the fewest goals conceded by a goalkeeper in his first 50 matches.

May 2006: Premier League Golden Glove Award

In May 2006, Reina was awarded the Premier League's Golden Glove award for keeping 20 clean sheets in the 2005-06 season.

May 2006: Marriage to Yolanda Ruiz

On 19 May 2006, Reina married his longtime girlfriend Yolanda Ruiz in Córdoba, before joining up with the Spain national squad for the 2006 World Cup. The couple have five children.

May 2006: FA Cup Final Win

On May 13, 2006, in the FA Cup final, Reina made errors allowing West Ham to lead 3-2. Steven Gerrard's late equaliser took the match to extra time, ending 3-3. Reina saved three penalties, winning the cup.

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.

2006: Previous Season's Performance

In the 2006-07 Premier League campaign, Reina kept 19 clean sheets, earning him the Golden Glove Award in August 2007.

June 2007: New Five-Year Contract with Liverpool

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

August 2007: Second Golden Glove Award

In August 2007, Reina won the Premier League's Golden Glove Award for the second successive season, after keeping 19 clean sheets in the 2006-07 Premier League campaign.

August 2007: Beginning of Consecutive Premier League Appearances

Reina's streak of 183 consecutive Premier League appearances began in August 2007.

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.

2007: Champions League Semi-Final and Burglary

In 2007, after the Champions League semi-final first-leg against Chelsea, Reina was awarded man of the match. In the second leg, he saved two penalties in the shootout, helping Liverpool win. Upon returning home, he discovered his house in Woolton had been burgled.

February 2008: Quickest to 50 Clean Sheets

On February 2, 2008, Reina became the quickest goalkeeper in Liverpool history to reach 50 clean sheets. He hit the milestone during a 3–0 win against Sunderland, on his 92nd league outing.

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.

2008: Played Every Minute of the Season

During the 2008-09 Premier League season, Reina played every minute for Liverpool, keeping 20 clean sheets.

2008: Victory celebrations for Euro 2008

Following the 2008 European Championship, Reina acted as a crowd-pleasing master of ceremonies at Spain's official victory celebrations.

March 2009: 100th Clean Sheet and Assist

On March 22, 2009, Reina kept his 100th clean sheet for Liverpool in a Premier League match against Aston Villa. He also assisted a goal for Albert Riera.

October 2009: Deflected Goal via Beach Ball

On October 17, 2009, Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland, with a goal from Darren Bent deflected past Reina via a beach ball thrown from the crowd.

2009: Played All 38 Matches

During the 2009-10 Premier League season, Reina played all 38 matches and tied for the Golden Glove award, but was named Liverpool's Player of the Season.

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: Victory celebrations for World Cup 2010

Following the 2010 World Cup, Reina acted as a crowd-pleasing master of ceremonies at Spain's official victory celebrations.

2010: Played Every League Game

For the 2010-11 season, Reina was one of only two players to have played in all of Liverpool's league games.

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.

2010: 100th Premier League Clean Sheet

In the 2010-11 season, Reina kept his 100th Premier League clean sheet for Liverpool in a 3–0 win against Aston Villa.

2010: Poor Start to the Season

Reina had a poor start to the 2010-11 season, with a late own goal giving Arsenal a 1-1 draw in Liverpool's opening Premier League fixture.

May 2011: 150th Consecutive League Match

On May 9, 2011, Reina played his 150th consecutive league match for Liverpool.

June 2011: Double Hernia Surgery

In June 2011, Reina underwent double hernia surgery.

September 2011: Desire to Stay at Liverpool

On September 3, 2011, Reina announced that he wanted to stay at Liverpool for another five or six years.

November 2011: Club Record for Most Clean Sheets

On November 29, 2011, Reina broke the club record for most clean sheets in a 2–0 Football League Cup quarter-final win over Chelsea.

February 2012: League Cup Win

On February 26, 2012, Reina won his second major honour with Liverpool, beating Cardiff City on penalties in the 2012 League Cup final.

April 2012: Red Card and Suspension

On April 1, 2012, Reina received a red card in a 2–0 defeat against Newcastle United due to violent conduct, ending his streak of 183 consecutive Premier League appearances. He missed several matches due to suspension.

August 2012: Mistake Against Hearts

On August 30, 2012, Reina made a mistake in a 1–1 draw against Hearts in the Europa League.

2012: Victory celebrations for Euro 2012

Following the 2012 Euro, Reina acted as a crowd-pleasing master of ceremonies at Spain's official victory celebrations.

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.

2012: FA Cup Final Defeat

On May 5, 2012, Reina started for Liverpool in their 2–1 2012 FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea.

February 2013: Mistake Against Manchester City

On February 3, 2013, Reina made an error against Manchester City, allowing Sergio Agüero to score a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw.

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: Hearing by the Italian Football Federation

In July 2018, Reina and former Napoli footballers were subject to a hearing by the Italian Football Federation over alleged links to the Camorra.

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.

March 2020: Tested positive for COVID-19

In March 2020, Reina tested positive for COVID-19 but later announced that he had made a full recovery.

May 2020: Support for anti-lockdown protests

In May 2020, Reina drew attention for supporting the anti-lockdown protests by national conservative political party Vox amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

August 2020: Move to Lazio

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

July 2021: Appearance on The Masked Singer

In July 2021, Reina was unmasked as a giant penguin on the Spanish version of the Masked Singer.

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.