Reina – Napoli
Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina has confessed that he wears the shirt Mario Balotelli gave him after he saved the Italian forward’s penalty as pyjamas.
The Spanish shot-stopper became the first man to save a Balotelli spot-kick in competitive action in Napoli’s 2-1 victory over AC Milan at the San Siro.
“I wear very special pyjamas now,” Reina told Spanish radio station Onda Cero
“They are made up of the Milan shirt Balotelli was wearing when I saved his penalty and some Napoli shorts.
“After saving the penalty, I couldn’t resist asking him for his jersey, as it was an historic event. He gave it to me and I brought it here to create an unusual pyjama kit.”
Reina, 31, is on loan at the Azzurri from Liverpool and had faced Balotelli in the Premier League during the forward’s time at Manchester City, and described how he managed to out fox the hit man.
“How did I save the penalty? By waiting one second more than Mario did,” he added.
“His strength from the spot is that he’s so calm he is able to wait until the last second before deciding where to place the ball and how to hit it. I waited more than he did and it went well.”
