Pepe Reina's bitterest goodbye: sent off in his final game as a player

Football dealt Pepe Reina a cruel goodbye. The Spanish goalkeeper ended his professional career this Friday in the most unexpected way: he was sent off just before halftime at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, amid the disbelief of the Como 1907 crowd and the sadness of a family who had come to the shores of Lake Como to witness the end of their beloved player.

Reina's final performance between the sticks lasted just 45 minutes, wearing the Como 1907 jersey and the captain's armband.

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But football is fickle. In the 45th minute, with the first half already in extra time and Inter ahead (0-1), a move nobody expected came. Taremi faced the box with the ball under control, and Reina came out to break up the play. The contact was minimal, barely a touch with the toe of the Spanish goalkeeper's right boot.

The Inter striker remained on his feet, but lost his balance and fell to the turf as he was about to be left alone in front of goal. Play continued uninterrupted until VAR cautioned referee Davide Massa.

The technology ruled a foul. A violation worthy of a straight red card for thwarting an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Reina, incredulous, tried to explain the incident to the referee. His teammates surrounded the referee in a desperate protest. But there was no going back.

Taremi, the same player who had caused the expulsion, was the first to console the veteran goalkeeper. Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer crossed the entire pitch to express his admiration. The benches rose to their feet, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, and his coach, Cesc Fàbregas, hugged him.

Reina headed toward the locker room with his head bowed, aware that this was the end of a dizzying career: 967 official matches, 25 years in the elite, a World Cup and two European Championships with the Spanish national team. The goalkeeper, who was part of the most successful generation in Spanish football, said goodbye through the back door.