Aston Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina played under both Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers during his spell at Premier League giants Liverpool.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina clearly doesn’t remember his time with Brendan Rodgers and Roy Hodgson fondly, criticising a pair of former Liverpool managers during an Instagram Q&A.
A World Cup winning goalkeeper has represented a whole host of top-class tacticians during a storied career at the highest level of European football.
Reina conquered Europe alongside Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, the world with Vicente Del Bosque and, in the 2014/15 season, lifted the Bundesliga title too with Pep Guardiola watching on from the sidelines.
So the 37-year-old is spoilt for choice when asked to name the greatest coach he has had the pleasure of working with. When asked to name the worst, however, two names stand out in his mind.
The worst? One not bad, but a little touchy is Brendan Rodgers,” says Reina, who is on loan at Villa from AC Milan.
“Then with Hodgson, I had some difficulties. His way of understanding football was very different from mine.”
While it’s fair to say Hodgson’s old-school, two-banks-of-four pragmatism did not endear himself to an expectant Anfield fanbase, the 72-year-old veteran has faced relatively few complains at Crystal Palace. The Premier League’s oldest boss has The Eagles flying high in 11th, thriving despite meagre financial resources.
Rodgers, meanwhile, has guided an exciting, free-flowing Leicester City side to third place with The Foxes closing in on Champions League qualification. The Northern Irishman is clearly a far more rounded tactician than the one who almost led Liverpool to top-flight glory six years ago.
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