Fernando Torres, after the practice at the ‘Ciudad Deportiva’ of Majadahonda, was live at Onda Madrid Radio in the programme 'The one o'clock match'. During the programme, the forward made a complete analysis of Atletico’s present situation and he approached without mufflers several questions about his personal situation.

They told him that there are many messages from people that encourages him and others that criticize him. “There are many Atletico’s fans that tell me to stay here and many others that tell me to leave, for my own benefit, and that really surprise me in a good way”, Fernando points out.

About the offers from different world level clubs that appear in at media, he say: “I’m used to and tired of hearing that there are offers that come to the Club. I’ve always said the same thing, that I want to stay here and expire my contract. Now, isn’t the best moment to speak about these, mainly for the team situation that has gone through so far. The atletico’s fans know that those informations don't go to any place, this can only destabilize the players, the squad and me, that I’m the most affected. When I hear such things it’s like if I’d have to say the same thing every day”.

As for if his projection is limited in Atletico, he affirms that it "goes in proportion to the Club like all of the youths. If the Club improves and goes to UEFA, and then goes to Champions, my projection will continue. It’s clear that these years the things haven’t gone well but I have always improved the numbers. Now I’m worse in numbers than in other seasons but there are many months and many matches yet left”.

He recognizes that the treatment is different when the player belongs to a Club like Atletico: "The Press has been good with me when things have gone well and bad when they have gone bad. It’s very difficult to live being an atletico’s player in Spain. We are treated in a different way. Atletico’s players are more punished than players from other clubs. There have been players that have been five or six games without scoring and people speak of a bad run. In my case it's different”.

The reaction when he travels with the team is different because at the hotel everything is flatteries and in the stadium, it isn’t. "It’s logical that they screech you from the stands when you play away except for those that go to the hotel because they are fans from your team. There are fields in which the pressure is very strong. I prefer to go to a field in which they screech me rather than go unnoticed, because that would be a bad sign”.

He said few days ago in an interview for "El País" that "the history is bigger than reality". Torres points out that "the numbers dictate. Once gone down to second division it’s hard to return to the place that corresponds us. Little by little the team is working, but it’s necessary to have patience. In the first seasons there has been many new players. The teams that are on top of us haven’t been made in two months. The managers do it with the best intention and they have been told straight. But they don't throw stones against their own roof”.

At the Press room he pointed that firing Bianchi was the best thing for everybody. “It hasn’t been as a critic to Bianchi because he was damaging their image and the results were mashing him. A lot of blame is ours. We needed a change. The coach knew how to change the direction and the results have arrived. People have built up hopes at Calderón Stadium again. We have spoken many times with Carlos and he had asked us, but he had to decide. Sure that he changed his working way, although he had to trust his system. He changed what he believed, but it didn’t have solution and things didn’t go well in the field”.

Fernando recognizes that "the players are responsibles of everything. We are the one who have the responsibility, we who play. There were moments of anxiety, Calderón's pressure blocked us and now we aren’t blocked. On Saturday we could finally dedicate our fans the victory that they and us wanted. Sometimes it’s better to wait ten seconds on the field, but it’s very difficult to think on the field. Before, the sensation was that there were 10 minutes left and they could score you. At the end, the blames always relapsed in the same ones when everything that happens is Kezman’s, Petrov’s or myself’s blame, you want to make everything for that not to happen and what you do is nothing”.

They say that he is pointed out by the topic of the money. The red-and-white 9 is honest and affirms that: “I notice in this Team, when things don't go well, that all what happens here is myself’s blame, for good or for bad. Inside and outside the field everything is my fault. That pressure you must tolerate it because things go that way. I’ve had to tolerate many things outside the field that other players don't tolerate. Football isn’t only 90 minutes. It’s much more important the sport thing that the economic thing, other way I wouldn’t be here”.

About a 22 years-old youth that takes 6 years at football elite in a team like Atletico and how he takes that popularity, he affirms that: "when you are a child and you have the illusion of being football player, you don't know what it is behind. And when you are famous you lose your social life. And I know it has to be that way until my sport life will finish. When the things go well everything it’s very beautiful. Since the year of the return to first division everything have gone over my shoulders, for good or for bad. Now the responsibility is more distributed, but in other years it hasn’t been this way”.

He analyzes the team situation in a complicated season and he says that there were "many flatteries to the team in the pre-season and people have come with a lot of hunger and with desires to make something big. Now, the new Coach puts a lot himself on the line and he transmits us those desires. Maybe there have been moments when we have seen everything lost and there was laxity. Fortunately, with Pepe Murcia we have started from zero and the desires of the first day have been transmitted”.

The forward considers that players always respect the current coach: "Bianchi won it previously and the coach has won it since the first day. He has told us he wants to stay here and he wants to do it well. Also he has told us that the one who deserves it will play, that he doesn't look at the names. We have seen him training the B team and he has done a good job. He knew how to create a good atmosphere in the locker room. He talks with everybody and he’s one more of the group".

As for if Bianchi has said goodbye to the players like it’s been murmured, he asserts “no”. “But I spoke with him and he told me to say goodbye to the team on behalf of him. I believe that it’s an error to blame on him everything. Nobody wants to lose and being eight weeks without winning."

They also said he cried after falling in ‘Copa del Rey’: “You lose first match and you have an unthinkable reaction, with the tie to two, the stadium quiet and the rival retrenched… When the referee whistles you see that the ‘Copa’ is lost. Yes, I cried. We saw a very united team and we went out to win the following Saturday and we won”.

Torres doesn't want to speak bad about the referees: “There has been a part of the season in which they have removed us more than they have given us. When they whistle you 10 or 15 fouls, it bothers you, and that has happened in a lot of games. Cards? There are referees more dialogants than others”.

Visiting Camp Nou means a lot for Torres. “It’s a special Stadium. I debuted there in first division and people have demonstrated me a lot of love. The last year cheered me after scoring them two goals. You go knowing that the normal thing is to lose and that makes you play with a relaxation that is very good”.

When they comment him that Raúl has trained with the ball today, he recognizes that: “It’s important. I hope he recovers soon and that he could be with us at the World Cup”.

The national team coach, Luis Aragones, knows him well and Torres comments his relationship with the coach: “I arrived with 17 years and I met with Luis, who had already lived everything. He was tough with me and there were times that I arrived home without desires of training anymore. There have been many bad moments, but now I thank him, because I realize that all that he did is for my wellness”.

Finally, they tell him that he was sad during some time. "Yes, the field is the reflection of how you are outside. If you have a difficult time that affects you. It affects me like it does to any fan and it’s hard. Now we have a couple of calm weeks with the two victories but there isn’t happiness in the team for seeing oneself qualified to do everything. Now we have the illusion thanks to the victory over Deportivo and for going to Camp Nou to win. But we haven’t seen yet a rival that when he looks at you, you can see the respect that has to you. We have to continue winning to recover the happiness and to check out that everything is going right once again”.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent