Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina was under contract with FC Bayern in the 2014/15 season. But his salary caused a stir.
It seemed a bit surprising when Bayern board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced during a trip to the USA by FC Bayern in the summer of 2014 that Pepe Reina would play for the German record champions in the future.
“Pepe Reina really wanted to go to Bayern,” Rummenigge was quoted as saying in an official statement from the club. Reina wanted to “do this adventure, even though he knows that he has a number 1 ahead of him in Manuel Neuer, who, if nothing happens, will always be number one,” said Rummenigge.
Pepe Reina reportedly turned down offers from Arsenal and Napoli
In the run-up to his move to Munich (which FCB had cost around three million euros in transfer), Reina, who was under contract with Liverpool at the time, allegedly rejected offers from Arsenal and SSC Napoli, where he had been a regular goalkeeper on loan in the previous season . Promising offers that would presumably have resulted in a place as number 1, or at least a promising competition.
Instead, after 394 competitive games for Liverpool FC, 49 for FC Barcelona and then 43 for Napoli, the 31-year-old decided to work with Pep Guadiola, whom he knew from Barca times together – and at the same time for a safe bank seat. Reina not only advanced to become the most exquisite substitute in Europe, but also to the best-paid permanent reservist.
Spiegel reveals Reina’s mega salary at Bayern
Again Spiegel citing the unveiling platform Football Leaks reported, Reina should have received a monthly basic salary of 375,000 euros in 2015.
Reaching the Champions League semifinals also brought him a bonus of 100,000 euros, in January of the said year, Munich transferred their number two – according to Football Leaks – In addition, in accordance with the contract, a special payment of 1.75 million euros. Sums which, when accumulated in January 2015, resulted in total net earnings of EUR 1,191,948.18.
Bild: Getty Images
By the way, Reina hadn’t played a single minute of the competitive game for his employer until then. He only made his Bayern debut in March (4-0 at Werder Bremen), a month later he was again able to guard the Munich box in the home game against Eintracht Frankfurt and kept it clean again (3-0). In the third to last game of the season, when Bayern had long been established as champions, he made his third and final appearance, which came to an abrupt end after just 13 minutes.
Reina had stopped Augsburg striker Raul Bobadilla illegally and saw the red card for it, after which the Spaniard was banned from the DFB sports court for two games. Only a few days before the expulsion against the Fuggerstadt, Reina had the club’s own channel FC Bayern.TV gave an interview in German and explains how comfortable he feels in the Bavarian capital.
After just one season: Reina asks Bavaria for approval
He had known beforehand that he would play little, but his relationship with Manuel Neuer was great. “We’re friends, there are no problems at all between us,” said Reina and added: “He’s the best goalkeeper in the world, number 1. I’m very grateful that he helped me from day one. “
Around a month and a half later and less than a year after his arrival, Bayern announced in the person of Vice Chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen that Reina had asked for an early termination of his working paper, which was valid until 2017, in order to join Napoli.
“Pepe Reina asked us to release him from his contract because he has the chance to play regularly as a regular goalkeeper at Napoli,” said Dreesen. Because Reina fit so well into the team in terms of sport, “but above all also in terms of people,” he said, “his request was of course fulfilled”
Bild: Getty Images
The southern Italians transferred two million euros to Munich, FCB lost its highly decorated, but also highly paid number two, Napoli had a new goalkeeper who was to be the undisputed regular player for three seasons. On Tuesday evening there is a big reunion between Reina and his ex-club.
The now 38-year-old was brought in 2020 from Lazio Rome as a backup for the regular goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, but benefited from an intermittent corona infection and regular injuries to the Albanian and will most likely also play in the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern. Reina has prevailed for the time being. Possible in the Eternal City, but completely utopian in Munich at any point in time of his employment.
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