Eye on La Liga: Fernando Torres and Atletico Madrid a match made in football heaven

If there was any debate as to the esteem that Fernando Torres is still held in on the red and white side of Madrid, it was provided at his presentation at the Vicente Calderon.

A chilly, sunny Spanish afternoon saw 40,000 Rojiblancos turn out to welcome home El Nino in a quite magnificent show of local pride.

His moniker of “The Kid” may be a little outdated now and, given his 30-plus years, we can’t expect to see the same lightning-quick Torres as previously, but no matter. The affection is genuine and reciprocal.

Despite leaving the club arguably when approaching his prime as a player, the Rojiblancos faithful have never held it against Torres.

We only need remind ourselves of the reception he received in the red and white half of Madrid when playing for Chelsea in the Champions League last season.

Already one of the transfer stories of the 2015 winter window, Torres’ return to Atleti makes sense on many levels, not least providing a great bookend to his career.

And it also affords him a decent chance to resurrect a battered reputation before the end of his playing days.

It has been suggested that Diego Simeone personally requested that Torres be delivered back to his spiritual home, the respect between both manager and player still abundantly clear.

It’s unlikely that there is another manager anywhere in the top European leagues who would be able to get the absolute maximum from a player who’s been devoid of confidence since his tenure in west London.

Every single player, no matter how good, needs to be appreciated by his employers and those that pay their hard-earned.

Now back among his people, perhaps a sense of home comfort will see Torres produce his best work.

Furthermore, playing in a system that suits him makes perfect sense.

Torres is no Drogba. Never was and never will be. Trying to shoehorn him into a style of playing that was anathema to him was always going to end painfully. As Luiz Suarez is finding out at Barcelona, if you don’t play to a striker’s strengths, then he is impotent as far as a goal threat is concerned.

So, is the marriage to Atleti one made in football heaven? Absolutely.

A home debut against Real Madrid was a return that couldn’t have been scripted any better.

His early movement was good if a little too eager, with offsides peppering his forays into Real territory. Understandably off the pace and having little impact, he was withdrawn just before the hour mark.

As he finds his feet again, however, we should start to see the best of Fernando Torres once more.

The more technical aspects of the league and a full appreciation of all things, including subtleties such as refereeing standards (which are vastly different to the EPL), will hold the player in good stead as he embarks upon his new adventure.

— The writer is a freelance journalist and Spanish football expert