Pepe Reina believes Napoli and their fans “deserved the most unforgettable of conclusions, but Juventus did better than us, not just on the pitch.”
The goalkeeper turns 36 in August and made the switch to Milan as a free agent after his contract was not renewed.
“I will always love Napoli and wanted to give them the Scudetto,” Reina told the Corriere dello Sport.
You can read the rest of his interview HERE.
Pepe Reina believes Napoli and their fans “deserved the most unforgettable of conclusions, but Juventus did better than us, not just on the pitch.”
The goalkeeper turns 36 in August and made the switch to Milan as a free agent after his contract was not renewed.
“I will always love Napoli and wanted to give them the Scudetto,” Reina told the Corriere dello Sport.
You can read the rest of his interview HERE.
“They were four marvellous years, both on a sporting and human level. I met enchanting people and as a team we were able to go so close to a dream. We had wanted to live it together, because this feeling was created between us and the fans that deserved the most unforgettable of conclusions.”
They had been on the verge of greatness and just one point behind Juventus after a victory in Turin, but a week later it all fell apart when the Bianconeri won 3-2 at Inter and Napoli lost 3-0 at Fiorentina.
“I think rather than Napoli lost it in Florence, it’d be more accurate to say Juventus won it the night before in Milan. They did better than us, not just on the pitch. They represent a powerful club. Perhaps in Italy only Milan and Inter can get close in terms of power.
“Destiny decided it for us that weekend. At times I think back and perhaps we weren’t accustomed to winning, so we lacked that habit of taking home ugly wins. Then I reflect and realise we went behind nine or 10 times this season and turned it around for the victory.
“There is no reason why Napoli didn’t win the Scudetto and I’ll never understand it, but I am proud of what we did.”
Now Reina is on his way to Milan as a free agent, as Napoli did not offer him a new contract.
“I can understand a club with a 36-year-old goalkeeper towards the end of his contract makes a decision to renew the team. It’s a business philosophy that is to be respected. It’s also true that my rapport with the club was no longer idyllic, but that becomes a secondary aspect.
“Rafa Benitez is my mentor, the one who made me hit the heights of my career at Liverpool, but also gave me the opportunity to know Napoli. Otherwise, it probably would never have happened.
“With Maurizio Sarri, it went beyond football. He stood up for me and I owe him a debt of gratitude. He was paternal in his approach, I care for him and wish him all the fortune that such a man deserves.”
Reina hit the headlines this week with reports he was being interviewed as a witness in an anti-Mafia investigation.
“It’s not pleasant. I am not someone involved in this crowd that has been talked about for days in the papers. Even my parents in Spain saw the news that associated me with members of the Camorra (Neapolitan Mafia).
“I want to make it very clear: I had no rapport with clans, bosses or anyone who seemed remotely linked to the Camorra.
“Gabriele and Giuseppe Esposito were introduced to me at my arrival in Naples by Paolo Cannavaro, who at the time was the captain of Napoli. I thought they were businessmen and was told they were sponsors who had commercial contracts with the club. Why would I not trust them?”