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NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCEJuly 16, 2008Claudio ReynaTHE MODERATOR: Thank you all for coming today. I will turn it over to Claudio. CLAUDIO REYNA: First of all, thank you. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of people who have come here and shown up. I didn't expect all this, so thanks for being here. I really appreciate it. Yeah, today started off as a happy day for me as I decided to retire as a professional soccer player. It's been a long ride. It was amazing and full of wonderful memories that has brought me all over the world. I usually don't have anything prepared like this, but I didn't want to forget anything. I'm obviously a little nervous and have mixed emotions. But this was a decision that I decided to make that I'm very happy with. I made the decision after speaking with my wife and family, and it was in the best interests of everyone involved, myself, my family, the Red Bulls organization, Coach Osorio, Erik Stover and Jeff Agoos at the club were all very helpful in helping me in this process. I would like to start off by thanking a few people. There are so many but I want to make note to a few people, special people. And starting off with my wife Danielle, she's been there for me through this long journey. It's taken us so many great places and she's always been the greatest support system for me and has been a pillar of strength in everything on and off the field. My three boys, Jack, Giovanni and Joe Michel right there, who's getting ushered out -- we expected that -- for everything that they've done to really complete my life. They are the most special kids in my life. Excuse me. I knew I would lose it with them. There are so many reasons why I decided to stop, but simply I've just come to the conclusion that it's time, time to move on and to look back now that everything I achieved. I'm very proud. Juan Carlos was right; he told me today that I was going to cry, and I lost the bet (laughter). I mean, it's been an amazing ride, like I said before, and I'm delighted to have helped the state of New Jersey, my family and everyone involved who's helped me through my career. I want to make a special note, of course, to my mom and dad. They're here today. They've obviously been there from the beginning, supporting me throughout my career that has taken me from the early days here in New Jersey to my playing days at St. Benedict's Prep here, the University of Virginia, the U.S. National team, all the various clubs in Europe, and now, of course, my last team, New York Red Bulls. Having the announcement here, of course, at St. Benedict's Prep is something with a lot of personal meaning to me. I'd like to thank the school and Red Bulls for making this possible today. It was here that I had the opportunity to play for Rick Jacobs, who's been a long time friend, mentor and advisor. I would like to also personally thank Father Ed for his support and guidance since my first days at school. There's so many other people to thank, too many to name, of course, coaches, players, staff members, all the support system. It's really a happy day. I don't know why I'm crying. I guess this happens. But it's an amazing day, so I'd like to thank everyone involved in supporting me throughout my career, my teammates especially, coaches, again, from the beginning, from the early days when I first started learning the game, to my dad. For what's next in my career, I'll be continuing with the New York Red Bulls in an ambassador role to help the First Team Academy in various other roles throughout the Red Bull organization here in the area and of course throughout the world. I'd like to thank Red Bull and of course MLS for allowing me to come back home and finish my career in this area and in the United States. Red Bull has made an enormous commitment to soccer here in the United States, and we've agreed, as I just mentioned, to continue to work together. In addition, I'll have the chance to spend more time now that I'm done playing with my foundation, which is something that I'm very, very passionate about. Moving on to the team, I know that the Red Bulls are in great hands with Juan Carlos Osorio, great players like Juan Pablo Angel, Dave van den Bergh and many of the recent signings. I think the team is in a great position now under his guidance, under Coach Osorio's guidance, to make this organization proud, this area proud of their soccer team, and I think soon bringing a championship to this area. They've all been very supportive, my teammates. I'd like to thank them all here at Red Bull because I was able to tell them personally today, this morning, and it was a nice feeling to let them know first before I told everyone here today. They're a great group of guys. I'll miss spending time with them. I'll be around the club obviously and seeing them, but it's a bit of a different role. I hope talking about them and the team, continuing that on Saturday they can kick-start their campaign with a great result obviously in front of a lot of people. Finally I'd like to thank all the fans, members of the media, for their support, and we'll always be grateful for their support throughout my entire career. Thank you very much. (Applause.) And I'm also sorry, I forgot a lot of different people. My in-laws are here today, some special people. THE MODERATOR: Any questions, if you want to just raise your hand and try for a mike. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: Yeah, I think above anything, I think anyone who knows me, I'm pretty quiet but I observe a lot. That's all I did, really. I watched the guys. I learned from the older guys and I took what they did and added it to me, not so much really on the field. I think every person brings something different to the game and has different qualities to bring to a team. But I think just, you know, how they carry themselves. And I think that's what I wanted to then bring on to the guys once I got older, to just kind of be a role model and someone -- as I had the experience to move on, to pass down what I experienced, and that's really what happened. There were so many guys, really too many to name, at the national team, so many players coming through in the time that I've been there that I've spent some amazing times with. So it was really that. It was a great cycle. I think looking back at the whole cycle of it when we used to start off and we weren't playing in front of many crowds at the time, not much interest in the sport. There were so many guys before me that did so much. I'm so proud of not only what I did but when I did it in terms of the growth and where the game was. That's something that was special to me because the game was just starting to get going. It wasn't at the stage it is today, and that's something -- to be involved in that whole process has been amazing. To see now the league -- I left Europe before there was an MLS, the national team we saw recently playing in front of 70,000 people in Argentina. It just shows somewhere along that I was part of that process of so many guys that deserve credit. It's nice to be able to sit back now and observe as a fan and however I can help the sport in the future. Like I said before, there's so many different coaches and players, and again, like back room staff and people that definitely, as I say, are the team behind the team that are so important that without them, I wouldn't be able to be sitting here and have the success and the opportunity to travel the world and do what I did and also in all the various clubs, as well. It's an endless list of people that I have to thank and that I'm grateful for. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: Yeah, I'm glad. I wanted to do it at some point at the end of my career, and you know, it was ideal that I was able to move back home and play here in New Jersey for the Red Bulls and be a part of their process, as well. It came soon before they took over, a lot of different changes happening. Yeah, and it was nice. I think I might have told you, of course, I wish I was playing here in my prime. That wasn't the case. I spent 12 to 13 years in Europe, but I was able to come back, play here, and I really enjoyed the experience. It was new for me, like I stated when I first came back. The traveling was something I wasn't used to, and it was all part of my experience as a player to learn. You know, I've made great friends out of the whole situation. I'm able to now stay with a great organization. Like I stated before, it's a very promising team, and be a part of that and help out in many different ways. It's been great. I always wanted to settle back in this area, and I think for all the guys who lived in Europe for many years, and thankfully now there's so many guys that are over there, you always talk about moving back home and where you're going to live and settle, and I was fortunately able to come back and settle close to where I grew up. So for me it was the perfect scenario. I had my injuries that were part of it, some turf-related, some just whatever-related. It happens. But overall it was a great experience, and I'm glad that I'm able to stay on and help the guys in an individual way and be, whatever, a help to the club, to Eric, to Juan, to Jeff, anyone, and help continue to grow this sport in this area and this team more than anything and Red Bull in this area. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: Yeah, I spoke to him briefly, and it made sense obviously for him and me. We went here, there was talk of possibly doing it in the city at Giants Stadium. It wouldn't be what this means to me personally. It just made sense. Andy and Coach Jacobs here, Father Ed, they made it happen. It was a no-brainer, really, for me to do it here, where I spent great times. It was really that part of my life where I learned so much; not so much really with soccer always, it was a part of my life, but as a person growing up. And really from here going on anywhere else and being able to handle any situation, I think that started here. It has a real special meaning to me, this place, this school, and the people that are ironically still here, some past teammates that showed up today to support me. That kind of explains what this place is all about. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: Well, there will be various responsibilities. I mean, we're working things out, but it's overall, helping, like I said, the First Team Academy, helping Juan Carlos. I'm lucky to have a coach here that's a friend of mine, to discuss things if they need help. Jeff is someone who I played with for so long, and now Eric who I've gotten to know recently who's obviously so busy with what's going on here at the stadium. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: I couldn't remember the exact date or when it was. It was a few weeks back. The first person I spoke to was Coach, then my wife. But it was more a decision that was made between him and I, and at the end it was my decision to really -- I was ready for it. You know, it was something -- it's hard to explain. I think people who have been in this situation I guess can explain it. But you know when it's time to move on and call it a day and move on. You just know. I guess to try to hang on or keep playing or look for another team, I never wanted to be that guy and be in that situation. So to be honest, I was ready. There was a lot of great things happening in my life. My family is a big part of my life. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter in my life. So I'm excited. I can't wait to get going with Red Bull and my foundation and some other things that are happening. It was something, like I said, it just came to me and I was ready. There was not going to be any Brett Favre situations here or anything. I'm done (laughter). Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: It's something I really want to do, but I understand, and some players retire when they stop playing and start coaching the next day. I never wanted to do that. Obviously coaching kids and youth setups around where my kids are involved is a different situation. But there's a process behind that, and I'm going to start that process at some point when the time is right and doing the coaching schools. I've been around coaches -- so many of my friends now call because they're coaching now. So I've been able to ask them and talk to them and give me great advice in terms of doing it right. I've always understood talking to guys like Dominic Kinnear, obviously Juan Carlos, and other guys I've played with, Curt Onalfo, Bob Bradley, Bruce Arena, all these different people that have done it for a long time, for a short time. So the older I've gotten I've asked them about that and I've kind of realized that I have to do that. I have to make sure I do the coaching school, learn, be on the field. I really don't know a timeline, at what level or ages I want to coach. It's something I want to do and feel I should do. I feel I want to pass on everything I learned now to whoever. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: I don't know, really. It's not for me to say. I kind of touched on it before, you know, going over there and starting to play when Americans were laughed at in soccer, to be honest. I have the memory of trying to get soccer going. I think when I did what I did is something I'm very proud of. This is something I can always carry on. I played for 14 years and everyone hated me when I was gone. I don't think I would have accomplished much. I have friends that I talk to from when I was 10 years old to guys now on the team and all my different clubs that I'm in contact with, coaches that coached me that I have a great relationship with, that I'm still involved in communications with them. That's exciting to me and something that I take away from it all, that this was all part of me as a person and growing. All the playing is just a huge bonus. I grew up hoping I could get a scholarship and go to college. I think that was a goal of my parents when they moved to this country. I've said it a few times. Everything else has been a huge bonus, that I don't even know if -- I didn't dream of the stuff like that. I pinch myself all the time. It was all amazing stuff, and now I can look back and watch my kids play, so it's fun. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: In a couple weeks. Q. (Inaudible.) CLAUDIO REYNA: That's a good question. This school, as I said before, I'm really in love with and I've been asked to be on their board. It's a huge honor that I sit on the board. Father Ed and Rick Jacobs asked me to be on to basically help continue in helping the school with what it is for the future. It's something I'm proud of. I'll be able to do more stuff and be around the school and just be around for the players for advice, to have a laugh, to play with them and do all that stuff. It's something -- a school that I've been connected with for so many years and it will continue for the rest of my life. As I said, it was a special part of my life, and every time I walk through here, it's like a second home, so it's great. Like I said before, it's a perfect place for me to have this final press conference here today. End of FastScripts |
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