"We cried when we left" - Pepe Reina faces his former side Napoli

4 seasons, 182 games in the Napoli shirt. Pepe Reina returns to what a decade ago was his home, San Paolo, now the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, to face his former team.

At 42, and after spending the previous two years at Villarreal, from which he left as a youngster, Reina is facing his last chance in Europe, his last adventure in a team with a strong Spanish identity.

On Friday, the Diego Armando Maradona stadium is expected to welcome its former goalkeeper as a hero. Under Sarri, he came close to winning the coveted ‘Scudetto’, but fell just short.

"People give you what they don't have. Altruism, smiles, joy, the smell of freshly brewed coffee. For me and my family, Naples will always remain in our hearts. It is a city we cried for when we left. I have always said it, those four years at Napoli were different because of how the people are," he told “Sky Sport”.

"We all know that Naples is particular, but when you understand it, the more you enjoy it. It's a fact that whenever we can we come back to Naples," the current Como goalkeeper concluded.

 

October 3, 2024