In a dramatic farewell to his illustrious 25-year career, former Liverpool and Aston Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina was shown a straight red card in his final match, as Como suffered a 2-0 defeat to Serie A runners-up Inter Milan.
The 42-year-old, who announced that this would be his last game before retirement, was dismissed in the second half after clipping Inter’s Mehdi Taremi outside his penalty area, a decision confirmed by VAR. Inter’s victory, however, was overshadowed by Napoli’s 2-0 win over Cagliari, which secured the Serie A title for Antonio Conte’s side with 82 points, one ahead of Inter’s 81.
Reina, a product of Barcelona’s academy, enjoyed a storied career, winning the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool, where he played in the 2007 Champions League final. He also claimed the Coppa Italia with Napoli, the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and was part of Spain’s 2010 World Cup and two European Championship-winning squads. Reina joined Como, managed by Cesc Fabregas, in July after stints at Lazio and Villarreal.
Inter took the lead through Stefan de Vrij’s first-half header, with Joaquin Correa sealing the win early in the second half. The defending champions now turn their focus to the upcoming Champions League final against Paris St-Germain next Saturday.