GUILLEM BALAGUE TALKS TO FERNANDO TORRES
In an interview in Champions, the official magazine of the UefaChampions League, journalist Guillem Balague speaks to Fernando Torresabout the inspirations that have helped shape who he is today.
Guillem: What did you learn from your first coach?
Fernando Torres:I've had a lot of coaches, from when Iwas five, but my firstprofessional coach was Manolo Rangel at Atleticowhen I started thereat about ten years old. He was the first one whotold me I was going toplay in the top flight, but he also used toremind me I should alwaysaim to enjoy myself. He used to let us choosethe training exercises,one player each day. He'd ask one of the kids:'What do you want us todo today?' Over the years you forget thedetails, but the thing hetaught me that has stayed with me is theimportance of enjoyingyourself, as if it wasn't a job. I learned fromhim that you have toapply yourself every day in training, but aboveall, that this is agame to be enjoyed.
Guillem: And the man in the street?
Torres: I remember something from the day I left tojoinLiverpool. It was at Madrid airport, and there were loads of peopleandcameras everywhere. It was a very emotional time, and my parentswereupset to see me leaving. There was this old guy there, nobody knewwhohe was, but he was quite indignant and he came up to me reallyupsetand said: 'It's a shame that you have to leave Atletico, but I canseethat you need to leave to realise your full potential and to beallthat you can be; to show the world what we all already know: howgoodyou really are.' When you play for a football team, it's timeslikethat you realise many people love you more and care more about youas aperson than a footballer. I took those words to heart. Ofcourse,people had said similar things to me before, but this wasdifferent.This was a 60-year-old guy I'd never met before, who'd beenan Atleticofan all his life, who loved his team – but at that moment hewas moreconcerned about my well-being than anything else. What makes itevenmore special is that I realise those are the things football islosinglittle by little. But I will carry those words with me for alongwhile. That really moved me.
Guillem: What has your father taught you?
Torres: A lot. A person is a reflection of hisparents. I'venever been one for trying to stand out, and I'membarrassed being thecentre of attention, but whenever I am in theforeground, I know myfather is always there in the background watchingover me. I rememberplaying a match for Atletico when I was eleven or 12years old in thevillage of Leganes, and the coach decided to substituteme. There was aguy watching the game, hurling abuse at me, calling meall kinds ofnames. I put my head up and looked at him, and my fatherwas there,right next to him, but he didn't say a word; he wascompletelyimpassive. He didn't even look at this guy, let alone sayanything tohim or start a fight like some parents might. He was justthere.
I will never forget that. He was watching everything that goes onandaccepting that is the way things are. And that's how he alwaysis:there, supporting me regardless of what's going on around himandalways with a very gentleman-like attitude. People might besurprisedwith my dad's reaction, but it is a reflection of hispersonality, theway he has always been, in the background, acceptingthings as theycome. I learned from him at that moment, this issomething I would haveto put up with for the rest of my career:Insults, criticism frompeople that don't know me. I have had it frompacked stadiums, but Iknow my dad has been in the stands watching me.So, I have learned toprefer to stay in the background, to let peoplearound me take thespotlight, something I've never been comfortablewith. I've neverforgotten, thanks to my dad, the importance of the'other person.' Ofcourse there have been occasions where I haven't beenable to avoid theplaudits, or to be in the headlines, but I have alwayspreferred thepeople closest to me to get the attention.
Guillem: And your mother?
Torres: I learned all about self-sacrifice from her.Shegave up a lot to see me fulfil my ambitions. She didn't go toworkbecause she was too busy taking me to and from training: everyday,from where we lived in Fuenlabrada into Madrid, which meant gettingatrain, then a bus, then walking through a park. She did it at eightinthe morning and again at six in the evening, just to make hersonhappy. I sometimes think about many old teammates of mine thatdidn'tmake it, and they had mothers who did the same for them.
Both my mum and dad gave much more importance to looking aftertheir sonthan to themselves. It's a gift they gave me – I am muchhappier when Isee people around me happy than when I am happy myself.
Everything I am now is a tribute to my mother's hard work and all that she gave up for me.
Guillem: What about your girlfriend, Olalla?
Torres: I've learned a great deal from her. That's howit iswhen you find someone you want to share your life with: you have alotin common and you learn from one another but, above all, they giveyousomething you don't have yourself. She is a calming influence onmewhenever I'm being impulsive, when things are not going well or whenwelose a match. She has had to suffer much disappointed rantingandmoaning, especially when I was at Atletico. Now she is also havingagood time herself. She has always known how to calm me down whenIhaven't been able to see the way out of the tunnel, or wake me upwhenI've been sleeping. She pushes me when I need to be encouraged.Theperson that lives with you is sometimes the only one capable ofhelpingyou up when you don't realise how down you are.
Guillem: How about your dogs?
Torres: That it's not all about the material things inlife.It's not about the things you have or what you have achieved.Life'sabout the little things, like five minutes playing in the gardenwithmy dogs. It helps me forget about everything else. Sometimestenminutes with my dogs can mean as much to me as playing in a big gameoffootball.
Guillem: What have you learned from playing alongside Steven Gerrard?
Torres: I really admire Steven Gerrardbecause I knowthe pressure he is under every day, everybody talkingabout him all daylong – in the changing room, in the pubs, in thestadium. I've heardpeople say he should be stronger, have a strongerpersonality. And Iknow by experience how difficult it is to deal withall that, and he'sat another level of course – because Liverpool is ahuge club. I wascaptain of my team from a very young age and I kneweverybody wastalking about me. I could feel it, I could see it out ofthe corner ofmy eye, especially when things weren't going right.People look at youfrom a distance and challenge you with their eyes.All that happensevery day to Stevie and he copes with it, everythingthat is expected ofhim all the time. He's always under tremendouspressure to perform, andeveryone looks to him to show leadership, tolift the team. He's a greatexample to everyone, and those of us whohave been in a similarsituation know how difficult it is to handle.It’s incredible the way hecarries himself regardless of what is goingon around him. I'd love tobe captain of another team one day, andSteven has shown me how to be agreat leader.
Guillem: Anything from a referee?
Torres: Well, first of all that these guys aren't the enemy!
We're all just trying to do a job: players and referees. I’vechattedwith refs in Spain for like half an hour about football andstuff, andyou know what? We shouldn't complain about their decisions,get tooangry or protest too much, because, after all, they are justtrying todo the best that they can. We're all in the same business.There was oneref in one of our matches – I can't remember that wellwhat happened,but I know I was the subject of abuse – and he came upto me and said:'Now you know how I feel every weekend.' Before that, Ihadn't given itmuch thought, I used to have a go at them myself. Now Itry to help asmuch as possible.
We have to realise everybody is fighting his own corner.
Guillem: What has Rafa Benitez taught you?
Torres: To demand a lot of myself daily, not to relax.Whenyou are in a team where things are going mostly well, players tendtorelax. But you must always push yourself; never become complacent;tryto do your best every single day. At a club like Liverpool, youcan'tsit back after scoring 20-odd goals and say: 'Well that's it.'Afteryou score 20, Benitez is at you during the next training sessionandstays on top of you all day, all week. He tells you to go off onyourown and do new exercises. There are days when you think: 'My God,thisguy doesn't let you breathe!' At times like that you don't realiseallhe wants is for you to improve. I want to progress in life, notrelax,not be complacent, and you need someone close to you telling youtokeep at it. It is impossible to do it otherwise. We don't alwaysfancyhaving someone like that so close, but in the long term I amsureeverybody will thank him for it.
Guillem: Did the Atletico fans teach you anything?
Torres: I'm an Atletico fan, and I would love thechance togo back there. Maybe I'll be able to play them in the UEFAChampionsLeague! I like to think I'd get a good reception from them.Whenever Ibump into an Atletico fan in the street, I'm still consideredone ofthem, one of their own, and that's a wonderful thing. It wouldbereally hard for me if I ever went back there and I didn't get awarmreception. That would be very difficult to deal with. I hope it isnotthe case.
Guillem: And the Liverpool supporters?
Torres: You can't imagine better support. They aretotallybehind their team, supporting us through thick and thin. Nomatter whathappens they are always behind me and the team – when you'rewearingthat red shirt of Liverpool, they give you their full support,to thedeath. If you make a mistake they won't criticise you – becauseyou arewearing the Liverpool shirt, and they support the shirt wellabove anyname. They enjoy the players they have at any time, and theyaregracious when former players return with other teams, showingthemtheir appreciation. When things are going well, they lovetheirplayers; when they are going not so well, they are still proud oftheirteam. As players, we always feel we have their backing, thatthey're100% behind us – and we appreciate that very much.That's thebigdifference between here and Spain.
Guillem: What about books or films? Have you got anything out of them?
Torres: Different things from books, but aboveall,friendship is very important. Your relationships are all you have,evenwhen there is nothing else left, and I've learned that yourfriendsshould be for life. The other thing is that because books arewrittenfrom, and reveal, people's personal experiences, they havetaught methat deep down we are all the same; we all have the samehopes, desiresand fears; the same basic needs in terms of security,family andrelationships. I've learned, too, that envy can be a very badthing, abad quality. However, it's not something I've encountered here.Thepeople you meet just aren't like that. Wherever I go, whetherit'sLiverpool or Manchester, the people have always been very kindandrespectful. Ultimately, I've learned to enjoy what I have in life.
Guillem: What about the journalists who write about you?
Torres: I've learned a lot from a number of journalists!
At the end of the day, we footballers are quite egoistical, andmost ofus would probably say that good journalists are the ones whosay goodthings about us, and the bad ones are those who paint us in abad light.I've learned that there are some who print bad things andcriticise me –but not as a way of helping me, but to do me harm, andhinder me. Iwon't name names and they're not worth worrying about –but do I want toshow them they are wrong?
Whatever I do, I do for myself, but yes, sometimes I also do itto showthem they are wrong. Perhaps their criticism has been right attimes,but now, whenever I step out on the pitch, I make sure theycan't saythat any more.
Guillem: Finally, have you been affected by a journey or a place you've visited?
Torres: I've been to quite a few poor places likePolynesia,Bora Bora, Natal, the Amazon in Brazil, parts of Mexico:places wherethe people are exploited, where they have next to nothing.And thething that has stuck with me most is that the people who havethe leastare always those who are willing to give the most.
In these places, devoid of material things and the envy that weobsessabout in our world, I've found the people are so generous andpreparedto share everything. That's an incredible thing. And you knowwhat, itmakes you realise that sometimes we players live an unreallife. I wouldlove sometimes to live away from some of the stuff thatsurrounds us,the excess of money, the jealousies. I go away to theseplaces and itmakes me want to share everything with everybody. Then Icome back toEurope and, well, it is different here, isn't it? |
發表於 2009-5-22 07:14 PM
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ßRight after turning sixteen I played in and won the European under-16championship. I was top scorer and chosen as Player of the Tournament,the same as had happened at cadet level. One of the most noticeableeffects of that tournament was that when I got back to Madrid peoplewould stop me in the street. Nothing like that had ever happened to mebefore.
Things did not go as well as we had hoped for Atletico in the 2004-05season. Although I played in all the League games, scoring 16 goals, itwasn’t enough to get us into Europe. We even lost in the Cupsemi-finals against Osasuna. All our hopes of getting a title forAtletico faded away and we were all dreadfully disappointed.
Atletimade a secure bet to the season 05/06. The club signed a very goodcoach. Carlos Bianchi won everything with Vélez and Boca, but with ushe wasn’t very lucky. The truth is, he didn’t adapt himself to thesquad neither the squad adapted to him. That’s why; the first months ofthe season weren’t good enough. The League was getting very hard. Thearrival of Pepe Murcia was like a balm and we overcame winning sixconsecutives matches. The previous dynamic was dangerous and the newcoach gave us enough moral to straighten the way. Pitifully, we didn’tkeep that regularity acquired before and we couldn’t achieve theEuropean place.
Weovercame the first phase very good. At collective level, the team stoodout with good play and goals, while the coach gave me his confidenceand I scored three goals. I even leaded the classification of goalscorers after the second round of the championship. At eights to final,we had to compete against one of the strongest teams, France. We didthe worst match of the tournament and we had to make the luggage. Theexperience of a veteran rival affected more than the quality and thecourage of our national team. However, I understand that at Germany webuilt a young team and with quality that I am sure in the future willgive a lot of happiness to the supporters.
