The former Villarreal goalkeeper begins his coaching career with the U19s (Juvenil A)
Villarreal CF have reached an agreement with Pepe Reina for him to take charge of the U19s (Juvenil A) from the 2025/26 season onwards.
José Manuel Reina Páez (Madrid, 31st August 1982), who hung up his gloves this past May, now begins a new chapter at the Yellows Academy. The former international goalkeeper will start his journey as head coach of the U19s, who play in the División de Honor.
A Yellows and Spain legend
Reina joined Villarreal at the age of 20 from FC Barcelona and became a key figure for the Yellow Submarine between 2002 and 2005. During this first spell at the club, he enjoyed major success, including winning two Intertoto Cups and helping Villarreal qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
After a long and distinguished career with some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs such as Liverpool and Bayern Munich, Reina returned to the Yellow Submarine 17 years later for the 2022/23 season. He went on to guard the net over two more campaigns, reaching a total of 191 appearances in almost five seasons with Villarreal.
Notably, during the 2022/23 season, Reina reached a major career milestone by playing his 1,000th professional match in the game against Cádiz. To mark the occasion, Villarreal CF paid tribute to him before kick-off at the Estadio de la Cerámica with a large banner in the stands displaying his image alongside the remarkable number of matches he played throughout his successful career.
