Pepe Reina, a former goalkeeper for Liverpool, is getting closer to breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most appearances made in European competitions.
At 41 years old, the Villarreal goalkeeper participated in his 192nd UEFA competition following his team’s 4-0 Europa League loss to Marseille on Thursday. Although the La Liga team did not have a favorable outcome, the former Napoli goalkeeper is now only five appearances shy of Ronaldo’s record total.
Reina has had a spectacular career, similar to that of Al-Nassr star Ronaldo, albeit to a lesser level. She has played for Villarreal, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and more. In the process, he earned 36 caps for Spain and numerous titles.
Reina stated in November of last year that he was eager to play football for as long as possible since he seemed to be afraid of what would come after football.
“I won’t lie to you,” he said to The Athletic. I can’t claim not to be terrified or to believe that there will be a hole that I won’t be able to fill. To be honest, I have no idea. For me, football has always been a way of life. You must get ready, and I assure you that it won’t be simple.
On Thursday, when Villarreal and Marseille play the second leg of their last-16 Europa League match, Reina might go one step closer to breaking Ronaldo’s record number of appearances. Although Reina has played in every Spanish game this season, the veteran has been the team’s backup to Filip Jorgensen.