by Luca Caioli
A good lad who still lives with his parents: ‘My mother is a great cook. Her pasta with cream and ham is streets ahead of anything you get on training camps. And of course they know me well. If I got big-headed, they would let me know about it.’
Even his manager says so: ‘The success hasn’t gone to his head.’ In spite of this, the sports journalists dedicate their front pages to him after he puts two goals past Barcelona in the Camp Nou on 6 February 2005. ‘He trains just the same as any of the others because he is very competitive and a very good team-mate. He never tires of learning. These things outside of sport don’t affect him.’ Another thing that pleasantly surprises manager César Ferrando is the ‘leadership ability of Torres. He has taken the bull by the horns and said this is down to me, I will be pulling my own weight.’ Come May, though, because he has been pulling his own weight, El Niño is worn out. In-between the league, the Cup, the Intertoto and the national side, he’s the player who’s played the most minutes in Spain. He can’t go on, he hasn’t scored in more than a month and Atlético have come to a halt. They no longer have any options in the league and they’ve been knocked out of the Cup. They will finish 12th, a long way off the champions, Barcelona. His own account, however, is positive: sixteen league goals and two in the Cup.
In 2005–06 he begins another season and in the dugout there’s a new manager. This time, it’s the Argentinian, Carlos Bianchi. He has an impressive CV, which includes Boca, Velez and Roma, the backing of the directors and major reinforcements on the pitch – Mateja Kezman (signed from Chelsea), Martin Petrov (now with Manchester City) and the Argentinians, Maxi Rodríguez, and Luciano Galletti. On paper it’s a strong and winning squad. There’s hope of qualifying for the Champions League. The new gaffer starts well, Torres playing his part, scoring as he knows how and ending up surrounded by controversy because of a very unusual celebration.
In October, in the Rosaleda stadium against Malaga, he scores a penalty – his third goal of the season – then sticks out his tongue and puts his fingers in his ears while running down the pitch. The crowd don’t like it and take it very badly, perceiving it as an insult, while in fact, it’s a birthday dedication to his friend Jorge Larena who plays for Celta. A juvenile joke between the two that becomes a hot media topic. But that’s nothing compared with what happens some time later.
By the 18th match of the season, Atlético are floundering in the lower reaches of the league, raising once again the possibility of ending up in the second division. Carlos Bianchi packs his bags. Four years later, Torres will say: ‘He had very good ideas but the players didn’t understand him.’ In his place, comes Pepe Murcia, who begins in style. He wins five matches on the trot and brings the team back from the depths to end up just four points off a position that would have finally seen them playing in Europe. It’s fourteen years since Atlético has achieved anything like that and the fans had their hopes high. But as always disappointment is just around the corner. Atlético once again finish empty-handed, in 10th position, and Europe remains a mirage. It’s necessary to start all over again.
The next season – El Niño’s last – begins in the company of Mexican manager, Javier Aguirre and ‘Kun’ Sergio Agüero, the young Argentinian phenomenon who’s being compared to Maradona and Romario. He’s the most expensive signing in Atlético’s history. He has come from Independiente at a cost of 20 million Euros. He should be the perfect support for Torres, who, in the Germany World Cup, described him as a great striker. The ingredients for success, this time, really do all seem to be there. Atlético, together with Barcelona, are the teams generating most expectations. Instead, it’s Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid that wins the league on the last day of the season. El Niño has already decided to leave. In seven seasons without winning a single trophy, he has scored 82 goals and seven in the Copa del Rey. He was the icon and standard-bearer of the team who, at seventeen, ‘knew how to take on the starring role and keep alive the hopes of an institution in its darkest hour. The administration’, writes Manolete-Manuel Esteban – journalist of sport daily newspaper, AS, and one of Atlético’s best-known supporters – ‘was dominated and hounded by the courts. The club’s enemies were taking advantage and no one gave any importance to what was happening on the pitch. His appearance on the scene led to an explosion and a breath of fresh air. He didn’t have any doubts about putting his professional future at risk, even when the directors asked him to help underwrite and ease the financial difficulties. He knew how to raise the hopes of the fans and declare that he would never wear the white of Real Madrid. His years were always presided over by performances of a high calibre and, above all, by being a kind of Robin Hood figure, who was trying to take a part of the popularity from the big clubs and give it to the less fortunate ones. In the end he needed a change of scenery to make his wishes come true.’
Chapter 14
He’s earned it the hard way
Conversation with Mexico and former Atlético de Madrid manager, Javier Aguirre
Following an afternoon in Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring to see his fellow countryman and bullfighter, ‘El Payo’, in action, followed by some tapas with friends, ‘El Vasco’ (‘The Basque’) Aguirre has a few moments to chat. It is almost midnight and he still has his case to pack. In the morning, he leaves for Mexico City, where, in a few days, he will be in the dugout for his first match in charge of the Mexico national team. On 3 April 2009, the Mexican Football Federation appointed him to succeed ex-England and Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson. It is his second spell as manager of the national team. The first began in 2001 and ended after the side’s exit at the hands of the US from the 2002 South Korea and Japan World Cup after reaching the last sixteen. For the seven years in-between he lived his big Spanish adventure.
It started in Pamplona with Osasuna, the team where Aguirre played briefly in 1986 before a broken leg put a premature end to his Spanish playing career. Returning as manager in 2002, over the next four seasons he took Osasuna to a Copa del Rey final and classification for the UEFA Cup. In 2006, thanks to a fourth place in the league, they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. An achievement that earned him a one-year contract with Atlético Madrid. ‘El Vasco’ Aguirre took up the challenge of returning the club to the upper reaches of La Liga and a place in Europe. He says of Fernando: ‘Any manager in the world would want Torres in his team. Who wouldn’t? Fernando is the standard-bearer of the team.’
On 3 February 2009, when El Niño had been with Liverpool for almost two years, Aguirre was sacked after the club suffered a bad run of results. Fernando gave an interview in which he spoke positively of his former manager: ‘He’s probably been the team’s best manager in recent years, getting them into the Champions League, and no one can take that away from him. That’s why he was hired and that’s what he achieved. I don’t think he is the real culprit of this situation. That’s how football is.’
Now it is his turn to talk about Fernando. With the Atlético uproar now in the past and with the relative calmness his experience and new post allows him, he recalls in measured tones El Niño’s final year in the red and white of Atlético Madrid.
What do you think now of Fernando?
‘I think he deserves all the good things that have happened to him. And when I say that, I’m referring to the advertising contracts, to playing in the Champions League, to battling on right until the end of the English season. He deserves it all because life hasn’t done him any favours. In the year that I was with him, I realised that he was a lad who was 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 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 and in the European championships, scoring the winning goal. The m
ain reason, maybe, is the fact that he played for Atlético Madrid. Fernando Torres was the captain, he was the standard-bearer and, to some extent, he was Atlético Madrid. There was a feeling that Atlético Madrid’s underachieving, or their failures, were somehow Fernando Torres’ failures. He was judged according to his team and not according to his own ability. The other reason, the key reason is that Spain – and Spain’s media – are dominated by two clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona. And that means that a player who has three good games for Real Madrid is a crack, he’s the best player in the world, he’s unbelievably good. Wesley Sneijder came to Real Madrid and played three games and they were saying he was as good as Di Stefano, better than Beckham. You don’t get the same respect as an Atlético Madrid player. And if you asked Torres – he would never admit this publicly – I think privately that he knows that one of his problems was the media was always criticising him.’