Pepe Reina Recounts Feuds with Jamie Carragher and Rafa Benitez

Liverpool and Spanish goal keeping master Pepe Reina has caused quite a stir with his upcoming autobiography, recounting indiscretions with teammates, managers and also failed transfers.

Earlier this week it was revealed Arsenal offered an astonishing (for them) 20 million pound bid for Pepe Reina last year, just before Hicks and Gillete sold the club to John Henry. Hicks and Gillete refused the bid from Arsenal, not because the fee was below their valuation, but because they wanted to keep Reina at the helm at least until they sold the club because he was rated as one of their most valuable assets and the club would be more attractive with him still at the club.

As an Arsenal fan I cannot explain how upset I was in hearing this given both; we never spend anything of that amount on a player, especially a veteran player and it may have opened the door to more higher fee transfers AND Pepe Reina is truly one of the best goal keepers and best leaders in Europe.

Details of a spat between Reina and vice captain Jamie Carragher have emerged from his book, also citing memories of disagreements with the controversial Rafa Benitez.

"“The veins in our necks were bulging, our faces were red with anger and neither of us were going to back down.The row between me and Jamie Carragher started during the game – I can’t even remember who we were playing against – carried on in the dressing room and didn’t come to an end until we sent each other text messages apologising.He went crazy at me, screaming at me, and I was screaming back at him. We were like that for fully five minutes shouting at one another and getting our point across. When we got back into the dressing room the row started again and it was even rougher than it had been on the pitch.The other players were just totally silent, watching us giving each other hell. It wasn’t even over anything major. It was just a difference of opinion over whether I should knock the ball long or [if] he should give me an angle for a short pass.I ended up kicking the ball out wide to where I thought Carra should be, but he wasn’t there and it went out of play. He shouted at me: ‘You really think you’re Franz Beckenbauer and you’re always trying to play short passes when you should just empty it.’I responded: ‘If I know one thing it’s that you definitely aren’t Beckenbauer, but just give me a bit of support when I’ve got the ball so we can try and play instead of just kicking it down the pitch.'”"

He then went on to discuss his former manager and another meaningless quarrel they had.

"“The biggest argument I had with Rafa was about a beer. We had lost 2-1 to Besiktas and not played too well. I decided to have a beer. I don’t see a problem with that because for me it is healthier to do that than it is to have a glass of Coca-Cola or a drink like that.Suddenly, the bartender turned up and said: ‘The club doctor, medical staff and manager have made it clear to me they do not want you to have a beer.’ I still don’t know why this was the case but whatever the reason, I was fuming. I grabbed my bags and stormed off to my room without even having dinner. That is how upset I was.For me, Rafa was in the wrong. It suggests the manager does not trust you to look after yourself in the right way. He saw it differently and, if he has a small weakness as a manager, it is that he did not have a massive career as a player before he moved into management.”"

It seems a professional football player cannot be a part of any type of biographical book without it causing a complete ruckus and changing the opinion forever of several players. Ashley Cole is one that immediately comes to mind for me.