LONDON, England: Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina yesterday launched a scathing attack on Liverpool after accusing the club of forcing him to join Napoli on loan.
The 30-year-old started his season-long loan to the Italian side yesterday following several months of speculation over his future.
He was reported to be a target for Barcelona at the end of last season but a deal with the Spanish champions never materialised.
In the meantime, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers signed Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from Sunderland.
Liverpool were not keen to keep Reina, whose is reported paid £100,000 (€116,000, $154,000) per week and the Premier League accepted a loan offer from Napoli.
Reina reluctantly agreed to be reunited with former Liverpool Rafael Benitez. But Reina said he was disappointed to have been left with little choice about his future.
“If I have one regret, it is the way that I am leaving,” Reina wrote on his official website pepereina25.com.
“It is only natural that I would be disappointed that the Liverpool management agreed to loan me to Napoli without telling me first.
“I thought that I deserved better than that, even though I understand that difficult decisions have to be taken in football.”
Reina conceded that he had told Liverpool he would have been keen to join Barca if a serious offer was made but was still surprised at the way he was treated.
“A lot has been made about me informing the club that if an offer came in from Barcelona that I would have liked them to consider it,” the former Villarreal goalkeeper added on his website. AFP
