Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Pepe Reina delighted to be back at Napoli after Bayern Munich spell

Pepe Reina said he is delighted to have returned to Napoli after a difficult season at Bayern Munich.

Reina, 32, spent the in the 2013-14 season at Napoli, on loan from Liverpool before sealing a permanent move to Bayern a year ago to provide backup for Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.

However, he returned to the Serie A club on a three-year contract last month and he has now told La Gazzetta dello Sport that being at "Napoli's better than Bayern."

He added: "This is what I really desired. I know what I've got here and I'm delighted to have this opportunity for the city and for the club."

The Spaniard, who made 30 appearances during his previous spell at Napoli, played just three times in the Bundesliga last season.

"I was happy in Munich, but it's hard when you're not playing and all the time you appreciate even more what you had before," he said.

"I'm delighted that Napoli wanted me back. Naples is a city where, once you arrive, you get to know it, you accept it and you appreciate it for what it is: fantastic, chaotic, at times even crazy.

"You might think this craziness could one day get on your or your family's nerves, but it hardly ever happens because it's that same craziness that you grow to love and it makes you happy."

Reina hopes Napoli, now coached by Maurizio Sarri, can enjoy a successful season.

"We've got a great squad with many top players," he said. "I'm optimistic, but we must not put ourselves under any pressure. We've got to think about working patiently. We must not say where we will end up -- we cannot promise the fans that we will win, but we must guarantee that we will give it our best all the time."

Reina, whose previous stint at Napoli saw him playing under compatriot Rafa Benitez, also told Sarri he would take a direct approach to communication.

"I prefer to say what I think all the time, every day," he said. "I don't like keeping things inside me and building up tension.

"I'm a direct, frank person. I always want the truth -- that's my way of facing life and I think that the coach thinks the same way, so it's all going to be fine."

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