Villarreal goalkeeper Pepe Reina commented on the round before his team’s debut in the new edition of European League he is new Panathianikos, this Thursday in Athens, with high hopes for this competition.
“It is clear that this competition is a challenge. We have many hopes and dreams in anticipation of this title, which the club has already won. We want to carry the name of Villarreal throughout Europe with total pride and satisfaction that the things have been good and that people recognize and are excited about ushe commented.
About the meeting in Greece He emphasized that “the first games of a group stage are important, more than it seems. Starting away from home is not good, but we have to know how to adapt.”
“We know that Panathinaikos is an old acquaintance in this kind of competitions. Without going any further, they eliminated Olympique de Marseille In the Champions League preview, in addition, they have three wins in three games in their league with a clean sheet and they have very good offensive players. We know they will make it very difficult for us, and more than being in their field,” he added.
The veteran goalkeeper pointed out that he remembers his previous confrontation with the Greek team, in a match that marked his debut in FC Barcelona.
“I played in 187 matches in Europe, yes, it seems incredible. I remember my debut in Barcelona, I had hair, I replaced Bonano who was injured and I played the last 10 minutes. I remember we were playing to pass, it was the second leg of a tie, and we kept 3-1 which helped us pass. “I remember perfectly,” he stressed.
If Reina plays this Thursday, he will equal the record of the former Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas as a Spanish player with the most appearances in European competitions and noted that “I hope I can continue to play many more games, something that is a privilege for me, and then, well, let’s go for Cristiano, who has the record.”
Finally, he referred to Pacheta’s recent arrival on the Villarreal bench to replace Quiue Setién. “Coach and I have only been with him for a short time, but we are learning his concepts, his ideas are becoming clearer every time.” and we believe we came prepared to do important things, starting with this game. We know what the new coach’s philosophy is and we will implement it,” he concluded.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
