On Saturday morning, Jose Antonio Reyes passed away at the age of 35 after a car crash in his hometown of Utrera. His life and career will be honored with a minute of silence before the Champions League Final between Liverpool and Tottenham.
A beloved man for Sevilla fans, Arsenal fans, and anyone else whose lives he touched, Jose Antonio Reyes tragically passed away on Saturday morning as a result of a car crash in his hometown. The news was confirmed by Sevilla, which was the first club he played for.
He will be honored and remembered by a minute of silence prior to the Champions League Final between Tottenham and Liverpool. All Spanish League games this weekend will also have a minute of silence at the beginning in honor of Reyes, who made a profound impact on Spanish football with clubs Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Cordoba, and, finally, the club he played for in 2019 Extremadura.
Reyes made his debut for Sevilla’s top squad as a teenager in 2000, and he went on to score 21 goals in just 86 appearances as a winger. His eye for goal and prolific dribbling ability caught Arsenal’s eye, and the quick attacker joined Arsene Wenger’s squad.
In London, Reyes became a star on a global level as an important member of the undefeated Arsenal “Invincibles” team in 2003-2004. He scored 16 goals in 69 games at Arsenal before finding his way back to Spain, appearing in more than 100 more games each for Atletico and Sevilla in a second stint.
Though Reyes won titles all over the world, he’s most known for success in the Europa League. The fan favorite won three Europa League titles with Sevilla and two with Atletico, and he appeared in a Champions League final for Arsenal against Barcelona.
There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from fans and players for Reyes, including a tweet from Arsenal legend and former teammate Thierry Henry, who brought so much joy to the world with his character and class on the pitch.
Reyes will be missed, and it is good to see that the Champions League will honor him in this way.