Reaching the middle of the first half of the League Competition, and with the lottery of the play-offs just arround the corner, Fernando Torres expresses in exclusive for www.fernando9torres.com his impressions on the path of the red-and-white team in the start of the championship and the sensations for the imminent match against Slovakia, definitive in the way of the Spanish National Team towards the World Cup of Germany.

P: Beginning with Atletico, it seems that for the present you have not managed to reach the level of game showed at the pre-season…

FT: The History demands this club to return as soon as possible to the place that for tradition corresponds to us. There is a great team capable of achieve the goals, but it isn’t possible to achieve everything in one day and is necessary to have patience. It’s logical that the fans are upset, and the players also we were waiting to be higher up, but the truth is that we aren’t on the top part due to our own mistakes, there are few better teams in the championship than this Atletico. It gives us tranquility, we know that it’s our thing and we have the solution in our hand. We have to realize that we are able to be up there and we will do it. The fans have to be calm and especially to have patience because we are able to obtain it, but we also need their support to improve.

P: Against Deportivo, Real Sociedad and Villarreal points went away that it seemed you already in the pocket; which do you believe had could be the reason that prevent you finishing off the games?

FT: It could be a problem of concentration and of believing in ourselves, knowing that we are able, realize that we are a good team, and improve the attitude. All that, added to the technical quality that the team has, should be enough to be in a high position. There are other teams that are high up there only with the attitude, and this is the way to do it.

P: Do you believe that Atletico will remember in excess these stumbles in the last game?

FT: When the season finishes the objectives are fulfilled or not for just the difference of one point or a goal, and these points that you let go you’ll miss them at the end. We are at the beginning of the season and we have margin to improve in order to solve it, not like last year that happened to us at the end; we didn’t have time to raise the situation and we got out of everything in one month. This year we still have time and we still have great margin to improve.

P: Also it’s true that you have played against rivals of magnitude, as Real Madrid, Barça, Deportivo...

FT: It’s true, the calendar was complicated enough initially. We still have difficult games, but all the big ones except forValencia already have passed. From now, we have ten matches left of the first half of the league to recover positions.

P: The match against Sevilla could be a good chance to reach a direct rival …

FT: Sevilla and Celta are two complicated visits against direct rivals in the fight for the European zone of the table, and that’s why this are the matches that we have to win. It’s a good chance to cut three points away to the teams that we have ahead in the classification and that fight for the same objective than us.

P: Has the team assimilated already completely the system of Carlos Bianchi's?

FT: Atletico is one of the most offensive teams of the League, we play with three forwards and with very offensive players behind, as Maxi. In this sense it’s different with regard to the scheme of last year, which was more defensive and balanced. Now we are better in the offensive aspect, but with fewer balance. Probably this is the aspect that the players of last year we haven’t assimilated completely yet, but surely we will obtain it very soon.

P: It seems that already the responsibility of the goal doesn’t relapse exclusively on you, but it’s more distributed among the rest of the team.

FT: It’s something very good for the team. Along the season there are many injuries and it’s important that any player who is in the field could score in a certain moment and win the match.

P: Does the variety of alternatives at the moment of scoring make you see goal with more difficulty than last season?

FT: Not at all. The forwards at the end always we finish scoring; In fact between the two more offensive players we have scored so far six goals. But on the teams that are on the top of the table not only score the forwards, but also the mid-field players. It’s something that we lacked in the last years and now finally we have it.

P: This season it seems that you play a bit more behind, as the second top with Kezman more anticipated.

FT: Yes, this year I play a bit more backward because there is more distance between the mid-field and the forward, but it also allows me to enter from behind without marking, since we saw in the game against Barcelona. I Already have played this way in other occasions and the important thing is that the team continues adding points.

P: Speaking of last year, you were the field player that disputed more minutes in the Competition; however Bianchi is turning frequently to the rotations and the changes. Do you think that these rests will serve to see a fresh Atletico in the second half of the League?

FT: The coach is giving rest to players, like me, Petrov, or Luccin... It’s important that we continue rotating to be more fresh. That’s something very good in a year with a very tight calendar, with matches during the week and the World Cup at the end. The more we rest the better we will be for the final straight line of the season.

P: Do you think necessary some incorporation in the winter market? People speak about of Mascherano...

FT: In the group all the players we know that we are able to make the objectives, but if somebody comes to improve and to help the team, I will be enchanted. And if he is a besides contrasted player like Mascherano, much better for everybody. Any incorporation will be welcome if it comes to increase the competition and to improve to the team.

P: Going on to the chapter of the National Team, in Belgium finally it changed the bad run and, in addition, when it was more necesary for the team...

FT: It was something great because I was taken time without scoring and it was an important match that all the fans were pending. At the end, it didn’t serve to obtain the classification, but to keep in the fight and now I hope to continue this way against Slovakia. The matches against Belgium and San Marino were very important, because they could give us the staight pass to Germany or to leave us. At the end, in spite the victories, it couldn’t be, but in the play-off against Slovakia victory will mean to go surely to the World Cup, so hopefully we’ll keep the run.

P: Scoring five goals in two international matches is something not very often, even if one of the rivals is San Marino...

FT: By that time I had scored one single goal in all the classification phase and in the two next matches I made five. Nowadays it isn’t easy to win five or six zero to any rival, even though it’s San Marino, and we have done it. All the rivals have their difficulty and to win by that difference gives moral to the team. Now come decisive games and it’s fundamental to keep in that line.

P: You said that the match against Belgium marked a before and an after for you; what were you talking about exactly?

FT: I was talking about a point of inflection with the national team. I wasn’t lucky and I entered a bad run, and that only can change on one way, with a good match. It knew that sooner or later the bad run was going to finish and that a new stage would begin. After scoring five goals in two matches I’d like to keep it that way, to forget the bad moments that I have passed and to begin to enjoy it.

P: Do you feel now more endorsed than before in the national team?

FT: Mainly with more confidence, I have taken off a load above me because each match with the national team was like an exam for me, an opportunity to demonstrate that I could reach that level. I knew that it was going to come that day and it arrived in very important games in which we were playing for everything, like the one against Belgium. Those that comes now are going to be the same or more important and I hope to maintain that level.

P: And simultaneously, will you feel less pressed by the exigency?

FT: I was very pressed because I wasn’t scoring and I wasn’t doing it well with the national team, but after this I hope that doubts are over. I’ve demonstrated to the others and to myself that I’m capable to help the national team... and I have to maintain it with work.

P: Now comes the play-offs, which are the keys to win to Slovakia?

FT: I think that anyone of the rivals of the play-offs are inferior to Spain looking at the players, but that isn’t enough nowadays. The important thing is that we feel well; if we play with confidence and we do things throught way we will be superior to Slovakia surely. It harms a little to play first at our house, but also it can be positive to arrive at the return match with a favorable result that gives us tranquillity and to sentence the eliminatory there. It’s very importan not to get goals at Vicente Calderon and to score at their house.

P: You return at Calderón with the national team, It’s without question a special pitch for you...

FT: For me, it’s a luxury to play at home. I know the field, I’m very comfortable with the fans heat knowing that there are many athletic ones in the stands and I can see that. Beside, the fans of Madrid always respond, because the city has gone in many occasions with the national team, in Calderon or in Bernabeu Stadium. For that reason, Madrid has been chosen again, the match against Serb is still recent, and although we weren’t able to win the sensations were very good. We felt the support of the stands in every moment and surely that in this match in which we bet for everything it will be the same or better.

P: Which are the causes in your opinion that make Spain to be the only one of the great national teams that have to go to the play-offs?

FT: We’ve been improving in every match win fortune. We lost many points in the beginning that now we miss, but the important thing is that there we answered at the end. We let points go away that we should’ve never lost, and that we belived in recovering them later. When we realized, Serbian no longer forgave and at the end they took control of the first position of the group. Through that lack of foresight we see ourselves now with two matches added in the play-offs. Anyway, the important thing is to arrive to the World Cup, as first of group or through the play-offs.

P: So, will be Spain in the next summer World Cup?

FT: Sure...


Photo: J. A. Sirvent