Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King
trying to improve himself every day. What he has, he’s earned it the hard way.’
But that 2006–07 pre-season didn’t begin well. You declared that you could not guarantee Torres his place in the team. The newspapers were saying that Manchester United were ready to pay 37 million Euros for El Niño.
‘I don’t remember making any declaration, either me or Fernando. What I remember is that when I arrived at Atlético, we talked with Fernando about the fact that the club needed to be in Europe because a lot of years had gone by since that had last happened. Fernando had never played in a European competition with Atlético. I do remember discussing this objective and him welcoming me as captain and he said that this was his objective as well.’
How did Torres get on with you and with the dressing room in general?
‘Very well. Fernando was a lad who was very straight with everyone. He was born in the club and grew up in the club. In the dressing room, he gave the impression of being shy, quiet, and it’s true he didn’t say much, but when he spoke one heard him. He was a natural leader. I remember that people looked up to him with a lot of respect. The club administration and directors used him at all the club events. He was the image of Atlético Madrid. There was an event for sick children and Fernando went, there was an event in the prison and Fernando went, there was a meeting of supporters’ groups and Fernando went. He was always available, always saying ‘yes’ to anyone who asked for an autograph or a photo. He was a man who knew what he wanted and we always had a great relationship. He always treated me well and was very respectful of my decisions. He always did his best for the team, and as captain he would always be prepared to take the flak.’
What struck you about Torres?
‘The person. I never saw that lad pull a long face, I never saw a rude gesture, he always had a smile for everyone. This is the best side of him because as a footballer he now has it all. He is complete, you can’t single out anything. As a person, he’s much better.’
And what was good about Fernando as a footballer?
‘What was good was that he knew that he had to improve lots of things. He had it all, he really did, to be a top star player. He was that already but he knew that there was room to improve still further. And because of that, Fernando wanted more training every day. Every day he studied the details of every move. He was the first to arrive and the last to leave. He is a true professional. Technically, his left side required a bit more effort as well as his guidance of the ball – he would suddenly rush forward too much. There were little details that he polished up and improved considerably. But I remember telling my defenders, Perea and Pablo, not to try to play the ball, clear it long and hard, without looking, send it right upfront and this lad will use it to his advantage. And it was true. Fernando was capable of controlling the ball perfectly, of running between three opposition defenders and scoring goals. There were moves where he kept it really simple, getting hold of a loose ball and going out to the wing – or from one of those unusual clearances – and turning it into a goal.’
Why did he leave at the end of the season? Did you know about his agreement with Liverpool?
‘At this point I have to explain a very odd thing that happened to me – I didn’t know that he was leaving.’ Aguirre laughed bitterly. ‘I assumed he was going to stay. I say this because in the last league game of the season, we were in Pamplona playing against Osasuna, and for a UEFA Cup place we needed favourable results from the matches involving Sevilla and Zaragoza. With five minutes to go, we were winning 2-1, Sevilla were winning and Zaragoza were losing. In the dugout, I called Torres over and told him, ‘We are in Europe, we’re going to Europe, Fernando,’ and he looked at me and smiled. In that moment I didn’t know it but afterwards I realised what he was thinking, which was that “Yes, I will be in Europe – with Liverpool.” He already had an agreement and his departure was certain. The truth is that I knew nothing. In fact, I went on holiday to Mexico and it’s there that I found out, from the press, that Fernando was leaving for Liverpool. My surprise was all the greater because nobody had consulted me. It was a done deal. But really it wasn’t so strange because
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