Atletico Madrid unveiled Fernando Torres to 45,000 fans at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Sunday with the striker targeting winning trophies.
Torres is re-joining the La Liga champions from AC Milan seven-and-a-half-years after leaving for Liverpool. His loan, which runs until the end of the season, will be made official on Monday but he watched Atletico's win over Levante on Saturday.
Torres, 30, said: "The club have grown and time has proved us right." He added: "I have also won trophies, but I want to win trophies here. "I was missing something to motivate me, something I could only find here. "Off the pitch I have been through many things. On a personal level I am more mature and very happy to be here. "On the sporting level things have changed too. At 24 I realized something very hard, that I needed to leave so that the club and I could grow. "It was the most difficult moment of my career."
It is difficult to overstate Fernando Torres's popularity with Atletico fans, who remember the deadly force of nature he was in 2007 rather than the misfiring disappointment of the last two or three years.
As much as his goalscoring exploits, Torres was loved because he was a boyhood fan who had progressed through the youth ranks and played with such obvious pride in the Atletico jersey.
Torres joined Serie A club AC Milan from Chelsea, who paid a then British record transfer fee of £50m to sign him from Liverpool in January 2011.
The players pictured above with his children.
The Italian club confirmed a permanent deal for Torres, following its own initial two-year loan deal, during the Christmas period, but have loaned him to Atletico until the end of the season after Italy winger Alessio Cerci, 27, arrived from the Spanish side.
Torres, who scored 84 goals in 214 league appearances for Atletico from 2001-2007, could make his debut against Real Madrid in the first leg of a round-of-16 Copa del Rey tie on Wednesday.
(culled: BBC Sports)
So happy for him...my hero. Wishing him the best in Atletico Madrid.
am so happy for torres. moral lesson learnt from torres; it pays to be patient although its not easy sometimes........ usi
ReplyDeleteGoodluck my Fernando. You are an hero. Patience does pay. May you find stardom again.
ReplyDeleteGood for him. He is still a fantastic player.
ReplyDeleteEl nino will shine again.. i am really happy for him ... and i will really love to see him play and shine in top class football again... I was really looking forward to seeing him do it more for Chelsea... to.. me as a Chelsea fan... Torres was not a failure at the bridge... the goal he scored against Barcelona fc at camp nou during the semi final of 2012/2013 champions league match was action that put paid to any Barcelona's last hope of.. a miracle.. that goal to me worth the 50m pounds transfer fees paid to bring him to the bridge.. I wish him well in all his future endeavors
ReplyDeleteHappy for Torres. Goodluck Liverpool finest.
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