Fernando Torres was born and raised in Fuenlabrada, Spain and only a decade after he was born, he entered the Atletico Madrid youth system. As a promising 11-year-old, he was groomed in to a phenom by the time he joined the first team in 2011. Torres dominated in La Liga and, as his reputation grew, so too did the list of suitors around Europe that wanted to acquire his services.
Torres eventually left for Liverpool and showed some trace flashes of that same brilliance while in England. However, his skill set seemed to decline over time until the point where it seemed as though all was lost. From Liverpool to Chelsea and then on to AC Milan, Torres struggled mightily over the past couple of years and it seemed as though time had run out for the Spanish star.
That was, until a move back to Atletico Madrid reinvigorated Torres. Now, it suddnely seems he has found his scoring touch again.
Why Torres Disappointed At Liverpool, Chelsea & AC Milan
When Torres arrived at Liverpool he was considered to be a savior that would help take them to the next level and help bring home championship hardware both in the Premier League and abroad in Europe. However, the moment that he started to struggle, he became the target of relentless criticism as fans expected so much more than what he was able to bring to the table.
The more that Torres struggled, the more that fans and media got on him. It snowballed into a situation where things continuously deteriorated. It didn’t help Torres one bit when he moved from Liverpool to Chelsea as managers continued to mess with his psyche while fans were relentless with their criticism. While pressure and fear might work wonders for some players, it certainly was not the right button to press with Torres. Following another failed stint with AC Milan, the writing was on the wall for his return to Spain. Torres needed to come home.
Why Torres Has Turned It Around At Atletico
Torres scored twice for Atletico to help sink Real Madrid in their Copa del Rey meeting and his recent form since has begged the question: Why has El Nino been able to turn things around so dramatically?
The answer could be that Torres is happy to play soccer for the first time in a long time. He’s back home again, in Spain, playing for a side he’s already had success with. And, maybe, it was the 40,000 Atletico fans that showed up to see him put on the Atletico jersey for the first time in a long time when he made his highly anticipated return.
Or maybe it’s the fact that, for the first time in a while, the expectations have been tempered and he is not being regarded as the savior that has to carry the club on his back. Maybe it’s the fact that he has a manager that hasn’t burdened him with pressure and fear, or played with his psyche, but instead told him to go out and remember what it is like to enjoy playing. Some combination of all of that plus the fact that he is back home in Spain undoubtedly has led to the resurgence that Torres has had in recent weeks.
El Nino Is Back
There was never any doubt that Torres has the world class skill to dominate on the biggest stage and for as much as he has been through over the past few years, it is nice to see him back home in an environment in which he can thrive. There is no denying he was a disappointment during his stops at Liverpool, Chelsea, and AC Milan but he has emerged as a hero again after the move to Atletico and it’s a welcome sight for fans of both the team and the game.
