Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

these are the risks of the trade. ‘What do you want? That they don’t give me a hard time?’ he asks at the end of the match, putting an end to any argument over the blows he has received. And he adds that he’s as happy as a sandboy because he’s made his first appearance in the senior side.
    On his performance, there’s not much to report – a miskick that goes high, some good control to get round the direct-minded opposition, and good passing. The critics were generous, stressing that the youngster seemed intimidated at the start. He wasn’t the centre of attention as he usually was when playing for Atlético, and they also underlined the lack of interaction with his team-mates. That’s normal, it’s the first time. The try-out, however, is sufficiently convincing, at least for Iñaki, that at Elche in Spain, in the home match against Ukraine, he will be a definite starter. And this time it’s going to be serious. Qualification is in the balance. In the 51st minute, Dymitrulin up-ends Etxeberría in the area. Penalty. Fernando Torres takes the ball and calmly places it on the spot. Before the match, Sáez asked who was ready to take a penalty. El Niño raised his hand. He wants to show that now he’s arrived in the national side, he wants to stay. For a long time. He’s not nervous or overawed as he steps back from the spot. To score is crucial. Spain aren’t playing well and Andriy Voronin (a future team-mate of Torres at Liverpool) has already sent a message of intent to Spain keeper, Iker Casillas. Fernando makes his run-up and sends a slow, limp, average shot to the left of the keeper. Shovkovskyy guesses right and grabs the ball. Torres can’t do anything more than kick the air in frustration. Fortunately, this failure doesn’t turn out to be decisive (Spain, thanks to Raúl, win 2-1), but next day, criticism of the youngster’s error doesn’t make for light reading.
    And what’s more, all the commentators ask why it was up to him to take responsibility for the penalty when, in the national team, there are others with more experience of spot-kicks, like Reyes or Xavi. Iñaki Sáez calms the waters and explains: ‘I think you have to go through this sort of experience in order to be successful. But there’s nothing to worry about. This will help him become a better player.’ Prophetic words. Because that’s certainly what he becomes. He applies himself to the task, as well as Gregorio Manzano, his trainer at Atlético, who, for several days, is photographed explaining to his player exactly how to take a penalty and get it right. ‘It was just an exercise in how to visualise,’ explains Manzano today, ‘so that he would take other penalties, with the thought that your first idea is what you have to stick with and not change it at the last moment. I wanted to help him. He was starting to grow in the national team and to demonstrate his skills in spite of the failure against Ukraine.’
    Also of interest at Elche is that Milan sporting director, Ariedo Braida, is amongst the spectators. He wants to see in the flesh the new jewel of Spanish football. Information that he’s received from his observers is very good. They’re thinking seriously of making an offer to Atlético. But Torres, who has spoken to his team-mates and ex-Milan players Demetrio Albertini and José Mari, rules out for the moment any move to Italy. It’s better to be older for Italian football. There’s the risk of getting burned …
    But we return to the national side and redemption. It takes place seven months later by complete coincidence in Italy, in Genova, against the Italian national side on 28 April 2004. An important friendly. For Italy, it’s a homage to 37-year-old Roberto Baggio, the great improviser of Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Inter, Brescia and of the national team, from which he will retire at the end of the season. The European Footballer of the Year 1993 returns to the national team after five years’ absence for one last game in the blue shirt. For Spain, it’s the last test before Euro 2004. The Spanish manager sends out the same team as for the game with Portugal. He decides to try out two strike pairings, Raúl with Morientes and Valerón plus Fernando Torres. El Niño comes on at the beginning of the second half wearing his lucky Number 14. His team-mates have given him permission to choose it because fourteen, he says, has always brought him luck. And these things in football