Fernando Torres - left as a kid, returns, a man

‘El Niño’ Torres is all set to return to Atlético with [Alessio] Cerci moving in the opposite direction to join AC Milan. It’s the outcome of a tangled economic operation; the details of which may or may not be clearly summarized for us. He joins on a loan deal from Chelsea and although his contract with the Blues expires in 2016, I have a feeling that he won’t return to London. We can deduce that it has been a costly purchase but I hope not so expensive that Atlético cannot convince [LFP President, Javier] Tebas that it complies with his notorious “ratio”. That aside, there is a certain sentimental air about this return this Christmas – to the place which he always considered his home.

Torres appeared when Atlético were going through their toughest moment in living memory: the team was mired in the Second Division while Real Madrid were buying one ‘galáctico’ after another and redrawing the city’s skyline with their four towers. Under those conditions, any brave child who decided to support Atleti, did so because of Torres. He was the proud standard bearer in times of desolation and that positivism remained after he decided to move on. His departure also brought in a substantial sum of money which allowed the club to sign Diego Forlán and other reinforcements. And he never forget about Atleti – in his celebrations with Spain’s national side, he was always seen wrapped in the Rojiblanco flag. He was still their representative during those happy days.

The player who we knew as ‘The Kid’ is coming home a man. During his time away he has played for Liverpool and Chelsea. He broke the record transfer in England, won the Champions League, the Europa League, two European championships and the World Cup - and two Bronze Shoe awards. Now aged 30, he returns to an Atlético side which is much stronger than the one he left… and until now, he had been a fringe player with AC Milan. But he is coming back on the express wishes of Simeone and I’m told, confident that it will all turn out well. It’s not easy to go back, and not every return works out favourably – examples including Paulo Futre and even Simeone himself. We’ll see what happens in the case of Torres but at least for the moment, the Madrid derby on 7 January will have an extra, magical feel to it.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1rnxp8G

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