Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

the Reds are a team, a big team, and Atlético at that time, were an uncertainty. We went into the Intertoto, after that to the UEFA Cup and then into the Champions League. We’d have liked to have had Fernando with us. In fact, we came together again in the Champions League (Group Stage), when we drew with Liverpool here and away. It was good for us to meet up. It was a pity that he couldn’t be on the pitch. In both games, he was injured and saw the game from the stand.’

The pressure at Atlético was too much for him?
     
    ‘Yes, and I’ll say something else. When I arrived at Atlético, I asked him if he would like to continue being captain. I said to him “Look, if you want to leave it, go and relax, enjoy yourself and just be one of the team.” He replied in the negative because he felt involved, because he loved Atlético so much and he wanted to grow with the team, but I could see that the lad was suffering – he had too many things weighing down on him. Here he had responsibility for the dressing room, the administration, the fans and the press. For better or for worse, he had to be involved with everyone and everything, whereas in Liverpool he is just one more person. There are three or four who are also important and Fernando is part of that group but he is not the captain. Anfield brings out the best in him because now he doesn’t have all those responsibilities.’

Yes, but the change has been impressive …
     
    ‘That doesn’t surprise me at all, In the physical tests, for resistance, for strength, in the day-to-day work, one saw that he had a huge potential. But I repeat, I think the great secret of his success has been that in Liverpool he’s not the captain and he dedicates himself solely to play the 90 minutes, while at Atlético he dedicated himself to a lot of things, the poor lad – interviews, sponsors, junior team, supporter groups, the social work of the Foundation. He was very involved and stressed out. Now he can relax and enjoy himself and he’s had two spectacular years with Liverpool and the national team. In Euro 2008 he was completely in tune with the Spanish team, he was finishing the moves made by the midfield and scored a great goal in the final, very much in the Torres style, overcoming the German defender when he was at a disadvantage, always with that strength and that desire to score goals. His success at Euro 2008 doesn’t surprise me. Luis Aragonés, the manager, knows him very well and got the best possible performance out of him.’

The best moment, the fondest memory?
     
    ‘Fernando always left us some small gift, always gave us a smile – he has a big heart. The best memory that I have was when, after a big match and without being asked for it, he signed the shirt for my three sons, Ander, Mikel and Iñaki, who are big football fans.’

Would it worry you to encounter him again with Mexico?
     
    ‘It would give me a huge amount of pleasure because that would mean that we had qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Let’s hope so, let’s hope so. I would love to greet Fernando Torres because he is a good friend.’

Chapter 15
Real hope
     
    Conversation with Sid Lowe and Guillem Balagué
    An Englishman who lives in Spain, a Spaniard who lives in England. Sid Lowe, aged 32, left London for Madrid in 2001 with the aim of finishing his PhD thesis on the Spanish Civil War, entitled ‘La Juventud de Acción Popular en España 1932–1937’. But the enormous media interest generated by the arrival of David Beckham at Real Madrid overtook him and converted him from football fan into football writer. He is a correspondent for the
Guardian
and
World Soccer
.
    Guillem Balagué was born 40 years ago in Barcelona and has lived in England since 1991. He is the UK correspondent for the Madrid-based sport daily,
AS
, and a Spanish football specialist for Sky Sports. His website ( www.guillem-balague.com ) features information on Spanish football and footballers including rumours, interviews and comment and even a section on Spanish wine. Two journalists, therefore, who know Fernando Torres well, talk about how he is portrayed in the media and explain the reasons for his success from two different perspectives – Britain and continental Europe.

How was Torres viewed when he was in Spain?
     
    SL: ‘The Spaniards knew that Fernando Torres was very good and a talented player, but didn’t think he was as good as he has since demonstrated at Liverpool