Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

Viera – is the fault of Torres. ‘I told one of them: “You, what you have to do is learn three words in French and when there is a free-kick, get close to Viera and distract him”,’ relates Luis Aragonés. It’s a shame that at the crucial moment Torres, with the responsibility of keeping an eye on Viera, forgets the advice of his manager. When he gets near the dugout, Luis shouts at him: ‘But didn’t I tell you? What happened?’ ‘Boss, Viera had already learned Spanish.’ An urban myth, one of the many jokes doing the rounds. What is certain is that Fernando hasn’t forgotten the defeat against France. He remembers the Germany World Cup and because of this, damps down the euphoria after the resounding victory in the first match of Euro 2008.

Chapter 21
Sweden 1 Spain 2
     
    14 June 2008
    Oddly enough, the day after the hammering of the Russians and in the seclusion of Neustift, a charming Tyrolean village, there are long faces all round. What has happened? Luis Aragonés doesn’t like Torres’ reaction one little bit after he substituted him in the 54th minute. What had El Niño done? Nothing that might be on a par with Egyptian Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdelhamid, better known as ‘Mido’, the Wigan Athletic striker previously with Tottenham and Middlesbrough. In the semi-final of the 2006 African Nations Cup, Mido lost his cool as he made his way to the bench, insulted the trainer, Hassam Shehata, by calling him a donkey and it almost came to a punch-up. He got himself a six-month suspension. No, the Liverpool striker hadn’t gone that far, he hadn’t made a big scene. It was just that, eight minutes into the second half, the electronic panel announcing the change had appeared and he had walked over to the bench with a seemingly peeved expression on his face. But what’s all this? We’re winning. I’m playing all right. I can really get stuck in too and score on the counter-attack and the gaffer takes me off – always me, it’s always me who has to come off first. The change has really upset him. So much so, that when Luis offers him his hand to greet him off, Torres looks the other way and hurls the tracksuit top the kit-man passes him onto the ground. He sits on the bench looking miffed. It seems like history has rewound back to his first year at Atlético Madrid, when the Wise Man of Hortaleza would substitute him time and again. And at a press conference everyone imagines should be a happy event, Aragonés doesn’t pass up the chance to tell all and sundry:
    ‘I can understand it when a player gets annoyed, and I’m on Torres’ side, but then a bit of decorum is important. This isn’t the last of this. I agree with footballers getting angry when they’re replaced, and it’s happened to me, but these are special circumstances and the ones that play are just as important as those that don’t. Those that don’t play should be pissed off, sure. Otherwise, why would we have brought them here? But first let them be annoyed with themselves and then with whoever. Manners though, and I say this again, are what is most important.’
    And to finish off he aims a very clear message at Torres: ‘This isn’t the last of this; one shouldn’t let things like this go.’
    A pretty harsh reproach, which leaves the journalists nonplussed. For example, Enrique Ortego, writing for
ABC
, thinks that ‘Luis could have just said nothing and had a quiet word alone with the player, as he has already done.’ But Ortego, like a lot of other commentators, understands why he did it: ‘He wanted to show public opinion that he’s not going to take any cheek from any players. He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened in the World Cup in Germany, when some who weren’t in the starting line-up for the first match didn’t contribute towards a good atmosphere.’
    And what does El Niño say? He plays the whole thing down: ‘There’s no big deal. I’ve had a chat with the boss and it’s just another change, there’s really no problem. I’ve never had any problems with trainers. I just think it’s a shame that these things are being singled out so much when Spain has just beaten Russia 4-1.’ And in front of the Tele 5 cameras he adds: ‘It’s always the same. The code of conduct in the dressing room that Luis has taught me since I was sixteen is the one that should apply to me in all this. What happens in the dressing room is straightened out in the dressing room. I would never snub the boss.