Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
![]() He joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007, after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at Anfield by being Liverpool's first player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season to score more than 20 league goals in a season. Torres became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. He left the club in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a record British transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. In his first full season at Chelsea, he helped the club win the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Torres is a Spanish international and made his debut against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in five major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. Torres did not score at Euro 2004, but netted three at the 2006 World Cup. He scored twice at UEFA Euro 2008, including the winning goal for Spain in their 1–0 win over Germany in the Final. He went on to win the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain, scoring no goals in the former, and scoring three goals in the latter to win the Golden Boot, as part of the historic Spain side which won three consecutive major tournaments.
Early careerBorn in Fuenlabrada, Community of Madrid,[5] Torres became interested in football as a child and joined his first team, Parque 84, at the age of five.[2] His father José Torres worked during Torres' childhood, and his mother Flori Sanz travelled daily with him to training sessions.[6] His grandfather was not a passionate football fan, but took pride in being an Atlético Madrid supporter, and Torres inherited his love for the club.[2]Torres started playing football as a goalkeeper, the position his brother played in.[7] When he was seven years old, however, he started playing regularly as a striker in an indoor league for the neighbourhood club, Mario's Holland,[2] using the characters from the anime Captain Tsubasa as inspiration.[8] Three years later, aged 10, he progressed to an 11-side team, Rayo 13.[9] He scored 55 goals in a season and was one of three Rayo 13 players to earn a trial with Atlético.[9] He impressed the scouts and joined the club's youth system at the age of 11 in 1995.[9] Club careerAtlético MadridAfter progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998.[9] 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.[9][11] He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group.[11] In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético.[9] He spent his first year playing in the youth team and moved onto the participating in the Honor Division when he was 16.[12] The 2000–01 season had started badly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out until December.[12] Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut for the team on 27 May 2001, at Vicente Calderón, against CD Leganés.[12] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Albacete Balompié and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.[12]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 six times in 36 appearances in the Segunda División.[13] Torres' first season in La Liga, 2002–03, was better, however, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances, with Atlético finishing in 11th place.[12][13] 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.[14] In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances,[13] meaning he finished as joint third highest scorer in the league.[15] At the age of 19, Torres was named Atlético's captain.[11] 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.[16] He scored two goals in the two fourth round matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg.[16] Atlético reached the Final, but lost 3–1 on a penalty shoot-out to Villarreal CF following a 2–2 draw on aggregate.[16] FA Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in signing Torres during the summer of 2005, but Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him.[17] 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.[18][19] He 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.[20] Torres scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season.[13] The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of Premier League Liverpool,[21] but Cerezo stated "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player".[22] However, a few days later, 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.[23] 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.[24] On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool.[25] The following day, Torres passed a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.[26] 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.[26] The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history.[24] 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.[27] Liverpool2007–08 seasonTorres made his competitive debut for Liverpool against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win on 11 August 2007.[28] He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League four days past his first performance in a 1–0 victory over Toulouse, after coming on as a 79th minute substitute.[29] His first Premier League goal came on his Anfield debut on 19 August 2007, in the 16th minute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.[30] His first hat-trick came in a 4–2 victory over Reading in the League Cup on 25 September 2007, with all of his goals coming in the second half.[31] His first goals in the Champions League came on his third appearance in the competition as Liverpool beat Porto 4–1 on 28 November 2007, as he scored twice.[32]![]()
Torres playing for Liverpool against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008, against whom he scored a hat-trick
On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt.[42] After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23 goals.[34][43] He ended the season in joint second place with Emmanuel Adebayor in the race for the Premier League golden boot.[44] Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing to pay £50 million to sign him but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool.[45][46] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.[47] 2008–09 season![]()
Torres celebreates scoring against Vålerenga Fotball on 5 August 2008
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Torres during Liverpool's 3–2 victory against Manchester City on 5 October 2008, in which he scored two goals
Torres faced his old rivals Real Madrid on 10 March 2009 in the Champions League last 16 and due to an ankle injury, he had a painkilling injection before the game to enable him to play.[67] He scored the first goal of the game, which ended as a 4–0 victory, meaning Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 5–0 on aggregate.[68] Four days later he lined up against Manchester United at Old Trafford and he scored the equaliser in a game that finished as a 4–1 victory.[69] He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running in April 2009.[70] Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 24 May 2009 against Tottenham on the final day of the 2008–09 season, which was his 84th appearance.[71] 2009–10 season![]()
Torres lines up before Liverpool's game against Wigan Athletic on 9 March 2010
2010–11 seasonFollowing Roy Hodgson's appointment as Liverpool manager he stated that Torres would not be sold by the club, saying "He is not for sale and we don't welcome any offers for him. We want to keep him."[85] Hodgson dismissed reports Torres was set to leave Liverpool by saying "He has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season. That is what I know so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous."[86] Torres stated his commitment to Liverpool on 3 August, saying "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed."[87]![]()
Torres in Liverpool away colours in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Utrecht on 30 September 2010
ChelseaOn 27 January 2011, Torres was the subject of a £40 million bid from Chelsea, which was rejected by Liverpool.[93] He subsequently handed in an official transfer request to Liverpool the next day, which was rejected.[94] Torres completed his move to Chelsea on a five-and-a-half-year contract on 31 January 2011 for an undisclosed fee reported to be £50 million, which set a new record for a British transfer and made him the sixth most expensive footballer in history.[95] He made his Chelsea debut on 6 February 2011 in a 1–0 home defeat to former club Liverpool.[96] On 23 April 2011, Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea against West Ham United in a 3–0 victory, which ended a run of 903 minutes of football without a goal.[97]2011–12 seasonTorres got the 2011–12 season underway in Chelsea's 0–0 draw away against Stoke City on 14 August 2011, in which his "link-up play was sharp, plus he was willing to make intelligent runs into space to receive the ball".[98] He scored his second goal at Chelsea, and his first of the season, on 18 September 2011, during an away game against Manchester United, which was the side's only goal in a 3–1 defeat.[99] He scored his second goal of the season at home to Swansea City in a 4–1 victory.[100] However, 10 minutes after his goal, a two-footed challenge on Mark Gower resulted in his first red card in English football and a three-match domestic suspension.[101][102] On 19 October 2011, Torres scored two goals in a 5–0 victory against Genk in the Champions League, his first in Europe since the quarter-final of the 2008–09 Champions League with his old club Liverpool, against Chelsea.[103] His next Chelsea goals came after scoring twice and also assisting two others against Championship side Leicester City in an FA Cup quarter-final on 18 March 2012, ending a goal drought that stretched 24 games.[104] On 31 March 2012, Torres scored his first Premier League goal since 24 September 2011 against Aston Villa in a 4–2 away win.[105]Torres came on as a substitute for Didier Drogba on 24 April 2012 to score a last-minute goal against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, which gave Chelsea a 2–2 draw, and also eliminated Barcelona from the tournament, as Chelsea won 3–2 on aggregate.[106] He scored the first hat-trick of his Chelsea career in a 6–1 win against Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge on 29 April 2012.[107] Torres came on in the second half of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final on 19 May 2012, directly after Bayern Munich's opening goal, and following a 1–1 draw after extra time Chelsea won the penalty shoot-out 4–3.[108] 2012–13 seasonTorres started the 2012–13 season in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City at Villa Park, where he scored the opening goal, as Chelsea lost 3–2.[109] On 19 August 2012, he appeared in Chelsea's first league match in a 2–0 away win against Wigan Athletic.[110] Torres scored his first goal of the season in Chelsea's next match on 22 August 2012, a 4–2 home win against Reading, scoring the third goal to give his side the lead.[111] He was sent off for diving against Manchester United on 28 October, leaving Chelsea with nine men after teammate Branislav Ivanovic was also sent off; the team went on to lose 3–2.[112] The Spaniard scored his first goal in the Champions League for the season after deflecting Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov's clearance into goal, as Chelsea needed a 94th minute winner from Victor Moses to secure a 3–2 victory on 7 November 2012.[113]Torres ended a goal drought that stretched over 11 hours of game time with two goals in Chelsea's 6–1 defeat of FC Nordsjælland on 5 December 2012.[114] Three days later Torres scored another two goals, ending a run of eight Premier League games without a goal, as Chelsea defeated Sunderland 3–1.[115] International careerIn February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain national under-16 team.[116] The under-16s took part in the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in May, which they also won, with Torres scoring the only goal in the Final, as well as finishing as the tournament's leading scorer, and was also named the player of the tournament.[11][13] In September 2001, Torres represented the under-17 team at the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, but the team failed to progress through the group stage.[13] In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship with the under-19 team and was again the only goalscorer in the Final.[11] Also, he finished as top scorer and was named player of the tournament.[13]
He scored seven goals in 11 appearances in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup,[118] making him Spain's top scorer for qualification, including a vital two goals against Belgium and his first international hat-trick against San Marino.[13] At his first ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup finals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory over Ukraine with a volley.[119] In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia, first in the 76th minute to take Spain 2–1 into the lead, and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th.[120] With three goals, he finished the tournament as Spain's top scorer along with fellow striker David Villa.[121] He was called up for Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 squad,[122] where he set up Villa to score Spain's first goal of the tournament in the first game in the group stage against Russia.[123] Torres came under criticism for apparently refusing to shake the hand of Spanish manager, Luis Aragonés, after being substituted.[124] He subsequently denied being angry with the coaching, saying that he was actually "irritated with himself".[124] He scored his first goal of the tournament in Spain's next game, a 2–1 win over Sweden.[125] Torres scored the winner and was named the man of the match in the Final against Germany in a 1–0 victory.[126][127] He said "It's just a dream come true. This is my first title and I hope it's the first of many. Victory in a Euro, it is almost as big as a World Cup. We are used to watching finals on television, but today we were here and we won. My job is to score goals. I want to win more titles and be the most important player in Europe and the world."[128] He was later named as a striker along with his striking partner Villa in the Team of the Tournament.[129] Torres made his 60th appearance for Spain in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification victory over Turkey on 28 March 2009, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone.[130] He was named in Spain's team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in June.[131] He scored his second hat-trick for Spain after 17 minutes into a Confederations Cup game against New Zealand on 14 June,[132] thus recording the fastest hat-trick by a player for Spain.[133] He played for Spain as they were defeated 2–0 by the United States in the semi-final,[134] as well as the third-place play-off, which Spain won 3–2 against South Africa after extra time.[135] ![]()
Torres celebrates with Spain after winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Plaza de España on 12 July 2010
Torres was selected in Del Bosque's UEFA Euro 2012 squad. In his first start of the tournament he netted two goals as Spain defeated the Republic of Ireland 4–0 to knock them out of the tournament.[140] In the Final of Euro 2012, Torres came on as a substitute against Italy, scoring one goal and assisting another, as Spain won a second consecutive Euopean Championship with a 4–0 victory.[141] This secured him the Golden Boot for the tournament with three goals and one assist, having played fewer minutes than Mario Gómez, who also had three goals and one assist.[142] Torres won his 100th cap against Saudi Arabia, making him the sixth highest capped player for Spain, and started the game as captain. Personal lifeTorres' parents are José and Flori, and he has two older siblings, Israel (born 1977) and Maria Paz (born 1976).[143] He married Olalla Domínguez Liste, with whom he had been in a relationship since 2001, on 27 May 2009 in a private ceremony with just two guests at the local town hall in El Escorial, Madrid.[144][145] They had been an item for eight years and are thought to have met in the Galician seaside town of Estorde, where Torres would go on family holidays each year to escape the Spanish capital.[146] The couple have two children, a daughter, Nora, born on 8 July 2009 at the Hospital La Rosaleda, in Santiago de Compostela,[147] and a son, Leo, born on 6 December 2010 at Liverpool Women's Hospital, with Torres missing the fixture against Aston Villa at Anfield.[148]In 2009, it was reported that Torres has a personal fortune of £14 million.[149] He features in the video for "Ya Nada Volverá A Ser Como Antes" by Spanish pop rock group El Canto del Loco,[150] whose singer, Dani Martín, shares a strong friendship with the footballer.[151] He makes a cameo appearance in the 2005 comedy film Torrente 3: El protector.[152] In 2009, he released an autobiography entitled Torres: El Niño: My Story.[153] |
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