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Fernando Torres
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Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz (Spanish pronunciation: [feɾˈnando ˈtores]; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid B. Due to his consistent goalscoring as a young player, Torres came to be nicknamed El Niño ('The Kid'), which stuck with him throughout his career. In his prime, he was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and was known for his pace, prolific goalscoring, and technical abilities.
Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first team. He made his debut in 2001 and left the club with 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Torres joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 and became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. In 2008, he finished third for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Striving to compete for trophies, Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a Premier League record transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. At Chelsea, he won the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League. Torres went on to have a brief stint at AC Milan before returning to Atlético Madrid, where he won the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League. He signed for Japanese club Sagan Tosu in July 2018, before retiring from professional football after the 2019 season.
In 2003, Torres made his debut for Spain in a friendly against Portugal. He was capped 110 times and is his country's third-highest top goalscorer with 38 goals. With Spain, he participated in six major tournaments: UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and 2014 World Cup. Spain won the 2008, 2010, and 2012 tournaments and Torres scored in the finals of both Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. He won the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the 2012 tournament.
Born in Fuenlabrada, Community of Madrid, Torres loved football as a child and joined his first youth team, Parque 84, at age five. His grandfather was an Atlético Madrid fan.
Torres began playing football as a goalkeeper. At age seven, he began playing as a striker for Mario’s Holanda, the neighbourhood’s 'indoor football' club, using the characters from the anime Captain Tsubasa as inspiration. At age 10, he joined Rayo 13 and scored 55 goals in his first season. He later joined Atlético’s youth system at age 11 in 1995.
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998. Atlético sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, in Spain and Europe, to play against youth teams from other clubs; Atlético won the tournament. He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group. In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético. He spent his first year playing in the youth team and participated in the Honor Division when he was 16. The 2000–01 season had started poorly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out of play until December. Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut on 27 May 2001, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, against Leganés. One week later, he scored his first goal for the club, against Albacete, and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.
Atlético were promoted to La Liga at the end of the 2001–02 season, although Torres did not perform well in the season, as he netted only 6 times in 36 appearances in the Segunda División. Torres's first season in La Liga, 2002–03, was better, however, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances, with Atlético finishing in 11th place. In July 2003, soon after his takeover of the club, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had a £28 million bid for Torres rejected by Atlético's board of directors. In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances, meaning he finished as the joint third-highest scorer in the league. At age 19, Torres was named Atlético's captain. Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup, but by finishing in seventh place in the 2003–04 season, they qualified for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, giving Torres a first taste of a competition at the European level. He scored two goals in the two fourth round matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg. Atlético reached the final, but lost 3–1 on a penalty shoot-out to Villarreal following a 2–2 draw on aggregate. FA Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in signing Torres during the summer of 2005, but Atlético club president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him. Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club was willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United of the FA Premier League had made a bid to sign him in March.
Torres stated after the 2006 FIFA World Cup that he had turned down an offer to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season. He scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season. The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of FA Premier League club Liverpool, but Cerezo stated, "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player." Days later, however, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee was rumoured to be £25 million with Luis García moving to Atlético in a separate transfer deal. On 30 June, Atlético announced a deal to sign Diego Forlán from Villarreal, in what was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure became official. On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool. The following day, Torres passed a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground. He held a press conference in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans, before completing his move to Liverpool on a six-year contract. The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history. In March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez stated in an interview with The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million, although this figure takes into account García's move to Atlético.
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Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz (Spanish pronunciation: [feɾˈnando ˈtores]; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid B. Due to his consistent goalscoring as a young player, Torres came to be nicknamed El Niño ('The Kid'), which stuck with him throughout his career. In his prime, he was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and was known for his pace, prolific goalscoring, and technical abilities.
Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first team. He made his debut in 2001 and left the club with 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Torres joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 and became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. In 2008, he finished third for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Striving to compete for trophies, Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a Premier League record transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. At Chelsea, he won the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League. Torres went on to have a brief stint at AC Milan before returning to Atlético Madrid, where he won the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League. He signed for Japanese club Sagan Tosu in July 2018, before retiring from professional football after the 2019 season.
In 2003, Torres made his debut for Spain in a friendly against Portugal. He was capped 110 times and is his country's third-highest top goalscorer with 38 goals. With Spain, he participated in six major tournaments: UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and 2014 World Cup. Spain won the 2008, 2010, and 2012 tournaments and Torres scored in the finals of both Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. He won the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the 2012 tournament.
Born in Fuenlabrada, Community of Madrid, Torres loved football as a child and joined his first youth team, Parque 84, at age five. His grandfather was an Atlético Madrid fan.
Torres began playing football as a goalkeeper. At age seven, he began playing as a striker for Mario’s Holanda, the neighbourhood’s 'indoor football' club, using the characters from the anime Captain Tsubasa as inspiration. At age 10, he joined Rayo 13 and scored 55 goals in his first season. He later joined Atlético’s youth system at age 11 in 1995.
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998. Atlético sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, in Spain and Europe, to play against youth teams from other clubs; Atlético won the tournament. He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group. In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético. He spent his first year playing in the youth team and participated in the Honor Division when he was 16. The 2000–01 season had started poorly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out of play until December. Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut on 27 May 2001, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, against Leganés. One week later, he scored his first goal for the club, against Albacete, and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.
Atlético were promoted to La Liga at the end of the 2001–02 season, although Torres did not perform well in the season, as he netted only 6 times in 36 appearances in the Segunda División. Torres's first season in La Liga, 2002–03, was better, however, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances, with Atlético finishing in 11th place. In July 2003, soon after his takeover of the club, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had a £28 million bid for Torres rejected by Atlético's board of directors. In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances, meaning he finished as the joint third-highest scorer in the league. At age 19, Torres was named Atlético's captain. Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup, but by finishing in seventh place in the 2003–04 season, they qualified for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, giving Torres a first taste of a competition at the European level. He scored two goals in the two fourth round matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg. Atlético reached the final, but lost 3–1 on a penalty shoot-out to Villarreal following a 2–2 draw on aggregate. FA Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in signing Torres during the summer of 2005, but Atlético club president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him. Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club was willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United of the FA Premier League had made a bid to sign him in March.
Torres stated after the 2006 FIFA World Cup that he had turned down an offer to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season. He scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season. The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of FA Premier League club Liverpool, but Cerezo stated, "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player." Days later, however, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee was rumoured to be £25 million with Luis García moving to Atlético in a separate transfer deal. On 30 June, Atlético announced a deal to sign Diego Forlán from Villarreal, in what was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure became official. On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool. The following day, Torres passed a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground. He held a press conference in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans, before completing his move to Liverpool on a six-year contract. The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history. In March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez stated in an interview with The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million, although this figure takes into account García's move to Atlético.
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