GUILLEM BALAGUE TALKS TO FERNANDO TORRES In an interview in Champions, the official magazine of the Uefa Champions League, journalist Guillem Balague speaks to Fernando Torres about 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 I was five, but my firstprofessional coach was Manolo Rangel at Atletico when I started thereat about ten years old. He was the first one who told me I was going toplay in the top flight, but he also used to remind me I should alwaysaim to enjoy myself. He used to let us choose the 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 the details, but the thing hetaught me that has stayed with me is the importance of enjoyingyourself, as if it wasn't a job. I learned from him that you have toapply yourself every day in training, but above all, that this is agame to be enjoyed.
Guillem: And the man in the street?
Torres: I remember something from the day I left to joinLiverpool. It was at Madrid airport, and there were loads of people andcameras everywhere. It was a very emotional time, and my parents wereupset to see me leaving. There was this old guy there, nobody knew whohe was, but he was quite indignant and he came up to me really upsetand said: 'It's a shame that you have to leave Atletico, but I can seethat you need to leave to realise your full potential and to be allthat you can be; to show the world what we all already know: how goodyou really are.' When you play for a football team, it's times likethat you realise many people love you more and care more about you as aperson than a footballer. I took those words to heart. Of course,people had said similar things to me before, but this was different.This was a 60-year-old guy I'd never met before, who'd been an Atleticofan all his life, who loved his team – but at that moment he was moreconcerned about my well-being than anything else. What makes it evenmore special is that I realise those are the things football is losinglittle by little. But I will carry those words with me for a longwhile. That really moved me.
Guillem: What has your father taught you?
Torres: A lot. A person is a reflection of his parents. I'venever been one for trying to stand out, and I'm embarrassed being thecentre of attention, but whenever I am in the foreground, I know myfather is always there in the background watching over me. I rememberplaying a match for Atletico when I was eleven or 12 years old in thevillage of Leganes, and the coach decided to substitute me. There was aguy watching the game, hurling abuse at me, calling me all kinds ofnames. I put my head up and looked at him, and my father was there,right next to him, but he didn't say a word; he was completelyimpassive. He didn't even look at this guy, let alone say anything tohim or start a fight like some parents might. He was just there.
I will never forget that. He was watching everything that goes onand accepting that is the way things are. And that's how he always is:there, supporting me regardless of what's going on around him andalways with a very gentleman-like attitude. People might be surprisedwith my dad's reaction, but it is a reflection of his personality, theway he has always been, in the background, accepting things as theycome. I learned from him at that moment, this is something I would haveto put up with for the rest of my career: Insults, criticism frompeople that don't know me. I have had it from packed stadiums, but Iknow my dad has been in the stands watching me. So, I have learned toprefer to stay in the background, to let people around me take thespotlight, something I've never been comfortable with. I've neverforgotten, thanks to my dad, the importance of the 'other person.' Ofcourse there have been occasions where I haven't been able to avoid theplaudits, or to be in the headlines, but I have always preferred 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 to workbecause she was too busy taking me to and from training: every day,from where we lived in Fuenlabrada into Madrid, which meant getting atrain, then a bus, then walking through a park. She did it at eight inthe morning and again at six in the evening, just to make her sonhappy. I sometimes think about many old teammates of mine that didn'tmake it, and they had mothers who did the same for them.
Both my mum and dad gave much more importance to looking aftertheir son than to themselves. It's a gift they gave me – I am muchhappier when I see 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 how it iswhen you find someone you want to share your life with: you have a lotin common and you learn from one another but, above all, they give yousomething you don't have yourself. She is a calming influence on mewhenever I'm being impulsive, when things are not going well or when welose a match. She has had to suffer much disappointed ranting andmoaning, especially when I was at Atletico. Now she is also having agood time herself. She has always known how to calm me down when Ihaven't been able to see the way out of the tunnel, or wake me up whenI've been sleeping. She pushes me when I need to be encouraged. Theperson that lives with you is sometimes the only one capable of helpingyou 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 in life.It's not about the things you have or what you have achieved. Life'sabout the little things, like five minutes playing in the garden withmy dogs. It helps me forget about everything else. Sometimes tenminutes with my dogs can mean as much to me as playing in a big game offootball.
Guillem: What have you learned from playing alongside Steven Gerrard?
Torres: I really admire Steven Gerrardbecause I know the pressure he is under every day, everybody talkingabout him all day long – in the changing room, in the pubs, in thestadium. I've heard people say he should be stronger, have a strongerpersonality. And I know by experience how difficult it is to deal withall that, and he's at another level of course – because Liverpool is ahuge club. I was captain of my team from a very young age and I kneweverybody was talking about me. I could feel it, I could see it out ofthe corner of my eye, especially when things weren't going right.People look at you from a distance and challenge you with their eyes.All that happens every day to Stevie and he copes with it, everythingthat is expected of him all the time. He's always under tremendouspressure to perform, and everyone looks to him to show leadership, tolift the team. He's a great example to everyone, and those of us whohave been in a similar situation know how difficult it is to handle.It’s incredible the way he carries himself regardless of what is goingon around him. I'd love to be captain of another team one day, andSteven has shown me how to be a great 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’vechatted with refs in Spain for like half an hour about football andstuff, and you know what? We shouldn't complain about their decisions,get too angry or protest too much, because, after all, they are justtrying to do the best that they can. We're all in the same business.There was one ref 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 it much thought, I used to have a go at them myself. Now Itry to help as much 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 tend torelax. But you must always push yourself; never become complacent; tryto do your best every single day. At a club like Liverpool, you can'tsit back after scoring 20-odd goals and say: 'Well that's it.' Afteryou score 20, Benitez is at you during the next training session andstays on top of you all day, all week. He tells you to go off on yourown 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 realise allhe wants is for you to improve. I want to progress in life, not relax,not be complacent, and you need someone close to you telling you tokeep at it. It is impossible to do it otherwise. We don't always fancyhaving someone like that so close, but in the long term I am sureeverybody will thank him for it.
Guillem: Did the Atletico fans teach you anything?
Torres: I'm an Atletico fan, and I would love the chance togo back there. Maybe I'll be able to play them in the UEFA ChampionsLeague! I like to think I'd get a good reception from them. Whenever Ibump into an Atletico fan in the street, I'm still considered one ofthem, one of their own, and that's a wonderful thing. It would bereally hard for me if I ever went back there and I didn't get a warmreception. That would be very difficult to deal with. I hope it is notthe case.
Guillem: And the Liverpool supporters?
Torres: You can't imagine better support. They are totallybehind their team, supporting us through thick and thin. No matter whathappens they are always behind me and the team – when you're wearingthat red shirt of Liverpool, they give you their full support, to thedeath. If you make a mistake they won't criticise you – because you arewearing the Liverpool shirt, and they support the shirt well above anyname. They enjoy the players they have at any time, and they aregracious when former players return with other teams, showing themtheir appreciation. When things are going well, they love theirplayers; when they are going not so well, they are still proud of theirteam. As players, we always feel we have their backing, that they're100% behind us – and we appreciate that very much.That's the bigdifference between here and Spain.
Guillem: What about books or films? Have you got anything out of them?
Torres: Different things from books, but above all,friendship is very important. Your relationships are all you have, evenwhen there is nothing else left, and I've learned that your friendsshould be for life. The other thing is that because books are writtenfrom, and reveal, people's personal experiences, they have taught methat deep down we are all the same; we all have the same hopes, desiresand fears; the same basic needs in terms of security, family andrelationships. I've learned, too, that envy can be a very bad thing, abad quality. However, it's not something I've encountered here. Thepeople you meet just aren't like that. Wherever I go, whether it'sLiverpool or Manchester, the people have always been very kind andrespectful. 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 of us would probably say that good journalists are the ones whosay good things 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. I won't name names and they're not worth worrying about –but do I want to show them they are wrong?
Whatever I do, I do for myself, but yes, sometimes I also do itto show them they are wrong. Perhaps their criticism has been right attimes, but now, whenever I step out on the pitch, I make sure theycan't say that 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 like Polynesia,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 have the leastare always those who are willing to give the most.
In these places, devoid of material things and the envy that weobsess about in our world, I've found the people are so generous andprepared to share everything. That's an incredible thing. And you knowwhat, it makes you realise that sometimes we players live an unreallife. I would love sometimes to live away from some of the stuff thatsurrounds us, the excess of money, the jealousies. I go away to theseplaces and it makes me want to share everything with everybody. Then Icome back to Europe and, well, it is different here, isn't it?
楼主
发表于 30-6-2008 07:03 AM
本周最热论坛帖子
3196 
57
