Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

him two goal-scoring passes and he beamed at me, saying, ‘Let’s see if we can repeat this on the pitch.’ It wasn’t possible. A real shame.’

Eight years have gone by since then. How do you view Fernando now?
     
    ‘Now I see him as the finished article. Going to Liverpool meant he could take three steps up in one. He’s more relaxed, more himself, without the suffocating responsibilities and the mental wear and tear that were crushing him at Atlético. He didn’t have time properly to evolve. At just eighteen, he had to take up the baton and be the flag bearer. In footballing terms, he has seen a lot in a very short space of time. But he’s an intelligent lad, who, thanks to his family and the right kind of environment – without any false praise where people always tell you you’re great when you’re not – hasn’t lost his way, as has happened to other youngsters. No, he’s gone in the right direction. In Liverpool, he’s made his match.’

What do you mean?
     
    ‘That he’s found the right kind of environment. Reina, Aberloa, Xabi Alonso have taken him under their wing. Steve Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have been able to guide him. Benítez, who is a perfectionist with great attention to detail, has helped him to iron out those imperfections his critics have always accused him of, like his passing and moving, his finishing, his ability to lose his marker, his shooting … Before, his shooting wasn’t so good, now it is. And then you have to recognise that English football, with its end-to-end games and spaces in which to run, is ideal for someone with Fernando’s qualities. Yes, without doubt, Liverpool has given him a big step up.’

Did you think it would all happen so quickly?
     
    ‘When he scored the first goal against Chelsea, I saw that as the turning point, I saw a player who had been liberated. From there on in, he had a marvellous season. And now he’s Number 3 in the world (in the FIFA World Player of the Year 2008 results).

It’s also thanks to the goal in the final of Euro 2008.
     
    ‘Without doubt. That match made his name. The injury to Villa was fortunate for Fernando because he’s a footballer who needs space, who needs to be able to run across the line of attack from one side to the other. And he showed that he is a man who doesn’t let one down on the big occasions.’
    The conversation is interrupted. Patxi Alonso, sports presenter at
Sexta
arrives for a coffee. Between smiles and jokes, the talk comes back to that demanding match of indoor football, the result and the remaining ties up to the final. A glance at the watch means that it is time to head for the TV. A good piece of programming.

Chapter 13
In El Niño’s hands
     
    There are 20,000 of them in and around the Neptune fountain in central Madrid.
‘
¡
Adiós a Segunda, adiós!
¡
Adiós a Segunda, adiós!’
– ‘Farewell to the Second Division, Farewell!’ they shout. After 721 days in purgatory, Atlético are back in the First Division. On 27 April 2002, in the Calderón, a victory against Gimnàstic de Tarragona would have given them the mathematical certainty of promotion but on 90 minutes Ángel Cuellar equalises for ‘Nastic’ to make it 3-3 and the torment goes on. But only for a few hours. Thanks to a chance set of favourable results they can celebrate the next day. Not since 1996 – the year in which Atlético won the league and the Copa del Rey – have the fans had a reason to get together around the fountain dedicated to the god of the sea, their ‘temple’, their altar for club celebrations. They do it in style. They jump with joy, sing, wave flags, light flares, throw bangers, mock Real Madrid, their eternal rivals, block the traffic in one of the main thoroughfares of the city, and even clash with the police. The most repeated songs and chants praise manager Luis Aragonés, who has achieved the miracle, and Fernando Torres.
    El Niño heard the good news about the return to the first division in the drawing room of his home. Following a frantic round of calls between team-mates, the idea was to go up to the Neptune fountain to join the celebrations. But Paolo Futre, the sporting director, thinks it’s better to wait. They opt for an informal dinner in a city centre restaurant. It’s not until the early hours that the players arrive in the presence of the god with the trident in his hand, in the Piazza Cánovas del Castillo, not far from the buildings of the Spanish