Dubai: Fernando Torres billed his imminent return to boyhood club Atletico Madrid as the realisation of a dream, when he spoke at the Dubai International Sports Conference at Atlantis, The Palm, on Monday.
The 30-year-old Spanish striker’s much anticipated January loan move from AC Milan — in exchange for Italian winger Alessio Cerci — was confirmed on Monday, moments before the player appeared on stage in Dubai along with Atletico chief executive officer Miguel Angel Marin.
The transfer brings to an end a seven-and-a-half-year hiatus from the Vicente Calderon stadium, during which time he played for Liverpool, Chelsea and Milan.
Torres joined Chelsea for £50 million (Dh2.85 billion) in January 2011, which was then a British transfer record, but he failed to replicate his earlier form with Atletico and Liverpool. Now Torres returns to Madrid in a bid to salvage his career, after scoring just once for Milan since joining on loan from Chelsea in the summer.
“There is a time when everyone wants to go back home and feel the love of their people,” said Torres, who scored 82 goals in 214 appearances for Los Rojoblancos between 2001 and 2007. “I’ve said many times that I cannot hide where I come from.
“A lot has happened since I left Atletico, but the excitement of a return has always been in my head. I have supported them since I was a kid. I made my dream come true when I played my first game with them, when I was 17 years old.
“It has been seven-and-a-half years since I left, but the passion to play for Atletico again has always been there. I have been waiting for that time to come for many years.
“I was part of them in the stands. I was there as a kid. And now I have the chance to go back.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting my teammates, start training and playing and enjoying it again. Hopefully I can get a flight to Madrid as soon as possible. It will be a dream come true.”
Torres also thanked Milan for their willingness to facilitate the move, but dropped a few sour notes first.
“The truth is that I thought I would be important for Milan, but I was not,” he said. “I decided to go to Milan because they said I would be a key player for them. Unfortunately, after a few months, the coach started not to focus on me. I respect his decision 100 per cent but have been forced to look ahead and try another destination.
“When the opportunity arose to return to Atletico Madrid I had no doubts. I want to thank Milan because they made it easier to find a solution.
“I’m going to try and rediscover my happiness at Atletico. As a child, my dream was to play for Atletico and I made it and now to return another dream has been realised.”
