Chelsea v Atletico Madrid: Fernando Torres insists Chelsea woes have made him stronger

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, who faces his boyhood team Atletico Madrid in the 
European Super Cup tonight, says he is a stronger person and a better footballer after all his problems at the London club.

The Spanish international 
became the most expensive player in English football when he left Liverpool for a fee of 
£50 million in January 2011, but, after suffering long spells without a goal, he found himself on the bench. “The transition from Liverpool to Chelsea was harder than I thought it was going to be, but it has made me a stronger person and a better player,” said Torres yesterday. “I am a stronger person because after sitting on the bench, once for eight matches in a row, I began to understand my team-mates better.

“It took me back to my past when I was 17 or 18 at Atletico and had to fight every day for my place in the team. I don’t want to go back to that. I am a better player now than I was when I was at Liverpool. I can play outside the box better. I can link up better. It was a difficult season last season, but I would not change anything – it helped me a lot.

“This match could not be more special for me,” added Torres of tonight’s game between the European champions and the winners of the Europa League.

“I spent 12 years at Atletico, I was captain there and I am one of them. I am an Atletico fan, I am a supporter. But, on Friday, all I want to do is win this cup for Chelsea. It will be strange for me 
because for 90 minutes I will not be an Atletico fan, but I will be again after the match is over,” he smiled.

Chelsea, who won the first Super Cup to be staged in 
Monaco in 1998, are the favourites to win the last one at the Stade Louis II before the fixture starts to move around to different European venues starting in Prague next year. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: “We are competitive and the game before this final [a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday] gave us a good feeling and a positive attitude.

“But Chelsea are the favourites with a big budget. They’ve won the Champions League and, on paper, they are better. We want to be competitive, but during the game anything can happen.”

Simeone refused to compare Torres, who notched 82 goals in 214 matches for Atletico, and his team’s high-scoring striker Falcao. “I’m not going to make comparisons between them. I’ll talk about our side and our players – we have a great squad and Falcao is a great player and is still improving.”