by Luca Caioli
Germany are nowhere. Michael Ballack, whose eyebrow is split open after a clash of heads, is doing all he can to motivate his side. He gets furious and takes it out on everyone, the referee included, but he is a symbol of his team’s impotence.
In the second half there are chances for Ramos and Dani Güiza, but for the Spanish it’s hard work. In the 78th minute Torres is taken off, but then comes the final, liberating whistle of Roberto Rossetti. And the Spanish party starts. Everyone goes mad on the pitch and across the country, where, after 44 years, they can finally shout: ‘Champions! Champions!’
‘When you are a boy, and see these matches on TV, you dream of being there. Now that I am here I find it difficult to realise what I’ve achieved. At last justice has been done and this team has recovered its due place in Europe,’ says Fernando Torres as he walks off the field, the Spanish flag wrapped around him. At a press conference, having been chosen best player of the game – as he was twice in previous junior European Championships – he makes an intelligent and concise speech for the world’s media: ‘I am happy because Spanish football needed a success like this one after so many years. Besides, this triumph is really going to help football in general because it has been the best team that has won the European Championship, a team that’s had a great tournament, and that doesn’t always happen. We are proud that we have promoted the idea of attractive football, which is enjoyable to watch, even for a neutral spectator. We are a team that knows how to use the ball. This has been a success for both the manager, who persevered with the idea, and for the players, who knew how to take the concept on board and apply it. The group is the main weapon of this team. All of us – the players who have been on the pitch a lot, and those who have been on the pitch less, as well as the technicians and the rest of the staff – have to feel just as happy. It is the victory of being together. To win is always good, but to do it like this is even better. We have kept the style, our way of playing throughout the whole tournament. And we’ve won. That shows that it is possible to play well and get results at the same time.’ Almost a masterclass in the art of football and the Beautiful Game – traditionally the territory of Brazilians. Torres lays claim to a certain style. His goal matches this philosophy and it’s a sign of how the mentality of the national side has changed. ‘Yes, it’s another indication that this national side has known how to mature. Maybe before, we’ve lacked those elements, like continuing to chase loose balls or the quality of the team’s defending. Now we are champions and we have more experience to go after more trophies. Let’s hope this is just the beginning.’ He’s just won but already El Niño is looking to the future, but he’s clearly one of those people in life who are never satisfied. As he waits for his future to unfold, he knows he has scored the goal of a lifetime; he is aware that he has had a profound influence – just like Marcelino – and he knows that he’s entered ‘in people’s hearts and in the history of Spain for ever’.
Next day the headlines in the Spanish press pay homage to this sensation:
‘Torres, the Golden Kid, scores a goal for history’ – El Mundo
‘A goal from ‘The Kid’ Fernando Torres gives birth to the first champion team after waiting 44 years for the delivery’ – La Vanguardia
‘Thank you, Niño, you are a legend’ – AS
‘El Niño has become a man’ – Sport
‘Marcelino’s heir’ – Público
‘Torres goal reaches mythical heights’ – Marca
And it is not only the Spanish press that praises him. Newspapers from The Times, to the New York Times, from La Gazzetta dello Sport to L’Équipe, from the Guardian to Clarín, Torres is the unquestionable hero. He’s the King, agree both The Times and La Gazzetta dello Sport. After being hidden from the rest of Europe he has taken the sceptre and crown and assumed the throne of Europe. Journalists from around the world recount his life and his performance as if talking about Orlando. Even his tattoos are talked about, such as the Number 9 in Gothic letters on his right arm, his name in the tengwar alphabet as created by J.R.R. Tolkien in the Lord of the Rings, and on one of his legs, in Roman numerals, the date 7 July 2001, which is said to be the date of his first kiss with Olalla. The ratings given to the Little Prince by journalists are exceptional. The Times, ungenerously, gives him an 8, saying: ‘Magnificent. Did it time and again with Liverpool last season and did it time and again last night. No one could stop him.’ And the picture on so many front pages is that of his arms outstretched like a red angel, Lehmann beaten and on the floor and the ball with its chequered panels rolling towards the net.
The next day it’s back home for the parade with the cup through the streets of Madrid and a 24-hour party. At 19.55 on 1 July, the team plane lands at Madrid Barajas airport. The faces of the players betray fatigue – they haven’t slept much because of all the celebrations, first in Vienna and then in Neustift, where the squad trained. But no one wants to stop the fun at the moment. An open-top bus takes two hours to make its way to the Plaza de Colón, where, waiting for their heroes, are one million fans and a big stage, where Pepe Reina will be the master of ceremonies. Fernando Torres places himself at the front corner with the cup in his hands and his red shirt. From the crowd a boy calls out and hands him flags of Spain and Atlético Madrid. He holds them and waves them aloft.
Chapter 23
Ambitious
Conversation with Liverpool and Spain goalkeeper, Pepe Reina
‘I gave my son two bits of advice: to be a good team-mate and, during the match, keep your eye solely on the ball. He’s a great goalkeeper and I don’t say that as a father but as someone who knows about these things,’ declared Miguel Reina during Euro 2008.
And he is right to say that he knows about these things because Miguel, the father of José Manuel Reina Páez – better known as Pepe – was also a leading goalkeeper. He played 312 matches in the Primera Liga with Córdoba, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid – the club where he ended his career in 1980. He won one league title, two Spanish Cup trophies, one Copa de Ferias cup, an Intercontinental Cup and two Zamora Trophies for the best Spanish League goalkeeper. His worst moment was losing the 1974 European Cup final against Bayern Munich. His son, who he admits is ‘better than me’, went through the same bitter experience in Athens in 2006, losing the Champions League final against Milan but, two years later, got the satisfaction of winning the big continental title, Euro 2008, with Spain.
And it is his son, who, as a child, wanted to be a winger but instead – thanks to his support – became the goalkeeper for Liverpool. Pepe arrived in the city of The Beatles in July 2005 and Rafa Benítez described him as the best Spanish goalkeeper. He came from Villarreal, where he was on loan from Barcelona, the club where he had worked his way up from the junior ranks to the senior squad. He won two Intertoto Cups and was renowned as a penalty-stopper.
In his last season with Villarreal, he saved seven out of nine. Within a short time at Liverpool he managed to push out Jerzy Dudek, the hero of the winning side in the Champions League final in Istanbul, gradually gaining the confidence of manager, team-mates, fans, and increasing his reputation. For three years running (2006–08) he won the Golden Glove award for the highest number of clean sheets in the Premier League, only just missing out (by one) on a fourth consecutive title in 2009 to Manchester United’s Edwin Van Sar. The goalkeeping son of a goalkeeper has become more famous than his father because, explained Miguel, ‘He is a very safe, all-round keeper, who dominates his area and who is also very good with his feet.’ But Pepe is not only a great player, he is a charming character, the ideal dressing room companion who can give you a boost when things are going badly or when someone is feeling down. And that’s not all, the Number 25 of Liverpool (Number 23 in the national side) is also very funny and a bit of a performer. Few Spaniards have forgotten his display on the podium in Madrid’s Plaza de Colón, the day after the Euro 2008 victory. With microphone in hand he introduced all his team-mates, inventing a few humorous lin
es for each of them, and then almost lost his voice during a six-minute audience participation routine, which made a million people go wild with delight: ‘It was an unforgettable moment for everyone, for them and for me. It was a moment of celebration and affection for my team-mates. We were all on a high and it just came out like that. Nothing was prepared, everything was improvised. The truth is I’m proud of having done it and that people have fond memories of it.’
And what are your memories of the winning goal?
‘I remember this huge suspense, as the ball kind of swept its way into the goal, floating through the air before brushing the net next to the post. Once we saw it was actually inside, there was an explosion of joy. We had put ourselves in front in a European Championship final after so many years and having suffered so much in qualifying. It was the best moment of those two years and the deserved result of a hard campaign.’
What was the hardest moment of Euro 2008?
‘The match against Italy was difficult. We suffered because we were up against a team that fought really well, typically Italian, but above all because there was a psychological barrier. The quarter-finals were where Spain always lost. It was the tensest moment but I think the football, in the end, was where we won it. If someone deserved it over the 120 minutes, it was Spain. We wanted to win the match, the Italians wanted a draw. We went to penalties and we went through in the way that Italy is used to going through and we arrived in the semi-finals on merit.’
Most countries envied Spain’s striker duo of Villa and Torres. Is it true that it was you who got them to understand each other better over a ‘fabada’ (an Asturian bean stew)?
‘I get on well with El Guaje and Fernando, I’ve known them both for some time. We met up with the families and they got to know each other a bit better as well. In the end the friends of my friends get on well with each other. It’s a source of pride for me, but I don’t want to give myself the credit – it’s normal that two good people get on well together. And the story about the fabada is true. El Guaje’s mother made it and we ate it after the match against Sweden and I can assure you we all enjoyed it.’
Talking of food, it seems that your wife’s tortilla (Spanish omelette) has helped Torres adapt to Liverpool?
‘I’m lucky to have a wife, Yolanda, who is a fantastic cook and a very good hostess. Fernando and Olalla live about 50 metres away. We like to meet up with them and other team-mates to have lunch, dinner, or just have a good time together. When you’re outside your own country, it’s nice to be with people from your own culture and to enjoy oneself as much as possible. We are a very homely family, we have two daughters, Grecia and Alma, and when friends come round we like to have a barbecue or watch a film. We also go out as a group and in Liverpool there are places that aren’t at all bad.’
What advice did you give Fernando to help him when he arrived?
‘Fernando is very good at getting his head round different situations and that’s why he’s adapted to Liverpool so quickly and so well. He knows exactly where things stand and is extremely mature for his age. He very quickly felt comfortable here, so much so that now it’s Fernando who’s giving me advice and not the other way round. When I arrived at Liverpool, it was Fernando Morientes who helped me a lot and I try to do the same with whoever comes, making an open invitation to visit me at my home, giving advice and making myself available for whatever they need.’
Did you ever imagine that Fernando would do what he did in his first season with the Reds?
‘I think that not even he expected it. To be truthful, no one expected it because he had some serious difficulties – a new league, new team-mates and a different way of playing. For those reasons, you have to give him a lot of credit for his 33 goals and I think that Fernando can feel proud of what he did.’
But this last season hasn’t been fantastic …
‘No, it hasn’t. Because first, to repeat what he did in the 2007–08 season was almost impossible and second, injuries haven’t been too much help for poor Fernando. I hope the next season will again be brilliant. I’m sure it will be.’
How do you rate the 2008–09 season?
‘Well, I think we’ve improved as a team but if we’re not winning titles one can’t say that it’s been a good season. We always have to try to win trophies and this year that hasn’t been the case, but what we have done is beat the club points record and we’ve only lost two league games. We’ve achieved a lot and we have fought right to the end to try to win the Premier League. We can be proud of what we’ve done but we’re still one rung below Manchester United. We have a Champions League place but no titles and we’re not happy about this. Nevertheless, the atmosphere in the dressing room is good and we have the feeling we have improved. I think that big things will be happening to us in the coming years.’
How is Torres seen from the perspective of the Liverpool goal?
‘He’s a player that makes all of us a little better. He has skill, speed and directness, which all help the team. For those who play around him, he makes their passing easier and he can turn a bad ball to his advantage. For me, from behind, the counter-attacks that we have practised are a lot easier when I can take advantage of his speed. It’s something we have talked about, we know each other well and we know when to do it in a match. In a given moment, I can find him with a ball behind the opponents’ defence.’
And as an adversary?
‘Let’s just say I have suffered considerably. While I was at Villarreal, he scored against me on various occasions. It’s strange because the people who’ve scored most against me are him and Villa and now they two are good friends. They are footballers who, when you play against them, you always suspect that something bad’s going to happen and Fernando is one of those. I don’t know exactly how to explain it but it’s a feeling of danger. When he has the ball, your goal isn’t safe.’
Since when have you known each other?
‘I got to know Fernando in the national Under-21 side, we were both there but it’s really been in Liverpool where I’ve had the pleasure to really get to know him, as a person, and a close friend.’
What is the quality that strikes you most about Fernando?
‘His ambition. Yes, he is a very ambitious player, and for that reason he comes out on top. He’s never content to sit back with what he has, he’s always trying to improve himself. At all moments, in each match, he looks for the things that haven’t worked out, he studies errors he’s made and works very hard to do it better the next time.’
Torres is a star of the team?
‘Yes, Steve and Fernando are our stars and that’s how it should be because they really are the two players who make the difference. Fernando has created a place for himself amongst the Liverpool greats because he’s very charismatic, a good guy, a warm guy, a worker and that’s how the people of Liverpool see him and they really appreciate him.’
And he’s also the ‘pin-up boy’ of the team …
‘That’s not how he appears to me. Men are not my thing but I understand that Fernando has that attraction. He’s tall, strong, handsome and he’s got hair – what’s more it’s blond – not like me!’
Chapter 24
Atlético de Madrid 1 Liverpool 1
22 October 2008
No, El Niño isn’t here tonight. Not on the pitch and not in the stands of the Vicente Calderón stadium. The previous week in Brussels, at the King Baudouin stadium, against Belgium, his luck runs out. Twelve minutes into the game the Number 9 of Spain’s national side feels an intense pain in his thigh. He pulls up and asks to go off. At the end of the game (1-2 in Spain’s favour) Fernando leaves, head bowed, without speaking to the journalists waiting for him. His return home to Atlético the following week for a Champions League tie is now in doubt. The verdict, which comes the next day, leaves no room for appeal: a small tear in his right hamstring. The same problem he suffered back in August. The prognosis: three weeks out.
Enrique Cerezo, the president
of Atlético, invites him anyhow through Rafael Benítez. His manager gives the green light but Fernando says he won’t be able to be there. The insignia of gold and diamonds that his ex-team-mates have wanted to give him to recognise his years of service to the club will have to wait for another time. On his website he expresses his gratitude and apologises to the fans of his former club, saying: ‘After meeting with the manager, the doctor and the physiotherapists, we have decided that the best thing is for me to stay in Liverpool because I would lose two days of recuperation. At this stage in the season, we cannot permit that kind of luxury. As the fans of Atlético are already more than aware, I want to play again as soon as possible and I’m working to get myself ready.’ He adds that, for him, not being able to play at the Calderón is very upsetting. He doesn’t use these words lightly, because ever since Atlético and Liverpool were drawn together in Group D, he’s been longing for 22 October with the expectation of a child anticipating the visit of Father Christmas: ‘I really can’t wait for the match at the Calderón to arrive. I feel curious about what my return will be like and how the fans will greet me, although I’m convinced they have good memories, as do I.’
At first, the game’s venue seems in doubt: after police clashes with Marseille fans and racist abuse was targeted at Marseille’s black players, UEFA decides to sanction Atlético by moving the club’s next two scheduled home games. But the punishment is suspended, and the game will be played at the Calderón. Torres will be back after sixteen months’ absence and is already imagining what he will do. He’ll arrive at the stadium and greet many friends, then get changed – something strange – in the visitors’ dressing room. He’ll run onto the field acknowledging the cheers of the fans, he’ll be there in the official photo with the ballboys he knows so well. If he scores, he won’t celebrate – it would be silly, a lack of respect for the place, and for the people who watched him grow as a footballer. But he’s sure to play the best he can. He wants to put in an unforgettable performance and help his Liverpool team to victory. But all these ideas and dreams are put to one side. However, even if Fernando Torres doesn’t set foot on the pitch at the Calderón, no one’s going to forget about him – no one among the 3,000 Reds travelling from Liverpool and no one among the 50,000 Atlético fans. The two groups of fans merge together and arrive at the stadium together peacefully. Once inside, they all invoke the name of their idol. The Atlético fans sing out to Fernando as they always have, to the tune of ‘Can’t take my eyes off of you’. The Anfield faithful respond with ‘Liverpool’s Number Nine’. And then, at the end of the game, the visitors sing out ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, and the whole stadium erupts in applause. A great evening for the supporters, who head home happy with a draw that does both sides justice.