Reina braced for Inter's united front

In the three years goalkeeper Pepe Reina has been at Liverpool FC he has quickly entered into the club's folklore. He holds the club record for most consecutive clean sheets at eleven and has earned a reputation as the master of the penalty shoot-out after his superb reflexes and cool nerve led Liverpool to shoot-out victories in the 2006 FA Cup final and again in the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Chelsea FC last year. Reina's father Miguel played in goal for Club Atlético de Madrid in the 1974 European Champion Clubs' Cup final and the 25-year-old matched that achievement for Liverpool against AC Milan in Athens last May. With a last-16 second-leg tie against FC Internazaionale Milano looming, he is determined to get to the final again, as he reveals in this Q&A with uefa.com readers.

What are the biggest threats in your second leg against Internazionale?
Patrick Lising

The biggest threat is the whole of the Inter side put together, but Zlatan Ibrahimović, Julio Cruz and David Suazo will probably be the most dangerous players. We have to be careful of everyone though, because they will be planning to turn the tie around and go through.

How confident are you going into the Inter game?
Do you think you can win the Champions League?
Matthew Koury, South Africa

We know it's not going to be easy. They've won 2-0 plenty of times for a start, and they only need to score one goal to make it a lot harder for us. Of course I think we can win the Champions League! You can't win it every year, but every time you play in it you have that sense of promise and hope.

What is it like keeping goal in front of the Kop?
James Richardson, Melbourne, Australia.

It's an incredible privilege. I feel very secure when I defend that goal. It's as if the visiting team were attacking uphill.

Apart from yourself who do you think are the best three goalkeepers in the world? And who was your idol when you were growing up? Was it your father, a great goalie himself?
Keenan, Johannesburg, South Africa

It's hard to limit myself to three in the world, but I'd have to pick out Petr Čech, Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon. My idols were Andoni Zubizarreta, and then José Molina. And yes! I knew my father was a great keeper, although I wasn't lucky enough to see him play.

Why did you decide to join Liverpool?
Jeff Jenkins, Alness, Scotland

Because it was a great move professionally and I adapted very quickly with so many Spaniards in the team. And because they're one of the world's giants – they have been European Champions five times.

Do you think you will stay at Liverpool for a long time?
Karl

For now I'd like to stay at Liverpool for a few years as I'm very happy and glad to be playing for one of the best teams in the world.

What is the Liverpool dressing room like?
Amelia Madan

We have a very united dressing room. We like to go and play golf together and to spend time together away from the pitch, like going out for dinner.

What is the most impressive atmosphere you've experienced?
Chris, London

Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş... But the best of all was the last Champions League semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield. Now that was an atmosphere!

Would you rather win the Champions League or the European Championship?
Ivana, Croatia

Both competitions are very important and I'd like to win both. But winning with your national team – with the whole country behind you – I think that's always got to be the best.

Can Spain improve their international record at UEFA EURO 2008?
Andrew Orsatti

With all my heart I hope this will at last be Spain's European Championship. We have great players in the team who are at their peak, players who are very important and decisive for their clubs, so we have every reason to be optimistic.

Who is your best friend in la seleccion and why?
What do you think of Iker Casillas both professionally and personally?Evrim, Turkey

I have lots of great friends – Pablo, Villa, Torres, Casillas ... We spend hours playing cards together. Casillas is one of the best and quickest keepers in the world, and what's more, he's a great person.

You are a fantastic goalkeeper, one of the top five in the world at the moment. I would love to see you as Spain No1. How can you improve further to replace Iker in future?
Yathen, Bangalore, India

It's difficult to unseat Casillas at the moment, but I will keep fighting and working hard in case the opportunity comes along.

If you had the chance to play in a different position rather than in goal, what would it be and why?
Philipp Llave, Rockwell, Philippines

I might have played in central defence, or centre forward. In fact when I have a kickabout with my friends in the summer in Ibiza I play centre-forward and score loads of goals (laughs).

How difficult is it for a goalkeeper to save a penalty?
Nick Sipsas

You need to have a lot of information about the player or players who are going to take them, and then you have to hold out until the last moment. But even after that, you need a badly taken penalty because if it's well-taken, all this is worth nothing. A well-taken penalty is almost impossible to save.

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