Former Liverpool and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina has confirmed he will retire at the end of the season.
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Veteran goalkeeper confirms retirementPlayed for Barca, Liverpool, Bayern & moreLast game for Como against Inter on FridayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The 42-year-old will play the final game of his professional career on Friday when Como host Inter – a game that will have a decisive role in the Serie A title race. It will see him bring an end to a long spell in the game that saw him turn out for the likes of Barcelona, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, Napoli, AC Milan, Aston Villa and Lazio.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Reina will not be away from football for long, it seems, as reports that he has already agreed to join Villarreal as a youth coach. The World Cup, European Championship and Champions League winner has not announced his next move yet as he shared an emotional message announcing his retirement.
WHAT REINA SAID
"It has been much longer than I ever dreamed, yet it feels so short that I'd live it all over again," he wrote in a social media post.
"With only three days left until the 'last dance', so many emotions, people, and memories come to my mind, and all I can do is sum them up in one huge THANK YOU.
"My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who crossed my path, the greatest treasure of this profession. I carry a piece of each of you with me, and I won't forget that you've all helped me experience this genuine privilege of a career as a footballer.
"I'm proud and at peace with every moment I've experienced, the tough ones because they taught me, and the good ones because they've made me extraordinarily happy.
"I thank God for blessing me with a family who is responsible for every good thing that's happened to me; even a lifetime wouldn't be enough to repay them.
"See you soon. New projects are coming, and football runs through my veins… I couldn't understand life without it."
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
Como have secured a 10th-place finish in the Italian top-flight after being promoted from Serie B last season and are unbeaten in their last eight matches. Reina and his co-stars will hope to extend that run and upset Scudetto hopefuls Inter, who are a point behind Napoli heading into Friday's deciding games.
