“Pepe! Pepe! Pepe!” The fans chanted his name in excitement. Supporters frantically called Pepe Reina's autograph as the Spaniard sat down by the sidelines with fcbayern.de after training. The turnout for Bayern’s public training workouts has been something to behold as the Säbener Strasse facility was bursting with fans during the open session.
“At my last club we usually trained behind closed doors,” explains Reina, who after his first three weeks with the club seems to have adjusted well to the openness in Munich. “I like it. It’s good for the fans and it’s good for us players. You can tell that Bayern Munich means a lot to the people here.”
The Spanish goalkeeper, who was last between the sticks for Napoli and Liverpool, has adjusted very quickly to life at the Säbener Strasse. “I’m very happy and optimistic about this new chapter in my career,” says Reina. “FC Bayern is one of the best clubs in the world. The club grounds, the quality of the players, the coach, the structure, the organisation – everything is top notch!”
German classes begin
The Spaniard, who will turn 32 on Sunday, picked a spot between Rafinha and Robert Lewandowski in the locker room. He also already found a home for him and his family – Reina is married with four children and they will join him in Munich soon. “Maybe in two weeks,” Reina hopes, “now my wife is taking care of the move. That’s not an easy task because there's six of us.”
Reina is also working hard on learning German. Last Tuesday he had his first lesson and the most important words are already learned. He is adamant about quickly expanding his knowledge of the language. “I'll give it my best shot,” he vowed. “I’m actually quite good with languages. I already speak four or five and I'm happy to learn more.” It’s easy to see: Pepe Reina’s transition is in full swing.
On www.youtube.com/fcbayern, Pepe Reina introduces himself to Bayern fans. What are his personal goals for the season? What did he do with his first professional wage? Who is his personal hero? In our video profile, he answers all these questions and more. Click here to check it out.
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