Fernando Torres takes stock of the Atlético Juvenil A season. El Niño has completed his second year as the team’s coach —the first as a starter— and considers it very valid for learning from him. Despite the final blur of the game against Madrid, of which He accepts his error in the expulsion for entering into the “continuous provocations”assume that the campaign has been positive and the boys have evolved. The best moment, the Youth League in the Metropolitan. This is how he explains everything in an interview with the club’s media.
Evaluation of the 22-23: “It has been another very nice year for the team, for the players and the coaches. A year of learning, that’s how I take this stage on a personal level. Learning every day, new situations happen, we try different things because the players have a very high level. The team is full of players with enormous potential and when they believe in what they do it has brought them closer to being able to win and show that they are part of the future of this club”.
Qualifying against Madrid: “After a very adverse result in the first leg, being able to go to their field and come back from 0-2, we managed to get the team recognized, a unique, aggressive team, that presses with intensity, that runs well into spaces, that manages match times. The peace of mind is that we have been able to compete against one of the highest level rivals in the country, being superior and we have been able to win in 90 minutes and we are left with the thorn of what happened in extra time “
Incident with Arbeloa and expulsion: “I see the images and I don’t like what I see. I do not recognize myself in those situations, it is not my usual way of acting. I admit that I was wrong in many things. It was a mistake to go into the continuous provocations that we had been having since games behind, because I left my team without their coach in extra time and I couldn’t be helping them. I don’t like seeing myself like this. It does not represent me, it is not what I transmit to the boys. I admit my mistake. But I am clear that I will always defend mine, against everything and everyone. When I see unfair situations, I go to the front with mine and defend them assuming the consequences. What saddens me the most is that there is no talk about the game that was played and this has soiled the tie. I admit the mistake, I am a young coach and it will help me to learn and improve. But with mine I will always go to the end.
“When I see unfair situations, I go to the front with mine and defend them assuming the consequences”
Youth in the Metropolitan: “It was the most important moment of the season for the boys and for the coaching staff. The first time for many in our stadium and you could see the enthusiasm, passion and emotion of the players. The night before they couldn’t even sleep, they were nervous, they saw that the dream was coming true. This is how we try to convey it. Play from passion, from intensity, from where they could connect more with people. We continue to convey that idea of how different our club is. We are more if we manage to connect with people, we are unstoppable. They saw each other that afternoon and they dreamed that one day they could be in the first team playing every weekend. Those of us who surrounded the boys also had different feelings. We thank the people who accompanied us. Surely they also dreamed and saw the players of the future and could visualize how some of these boys will be in the first team. It’s our job here.”
Pablo Barrios: “I am not very objective with him. I have seen him grow, I have seen him mature. We have seen the potential that he has and it is a satisfaction to see him as part of the first team. He is an incentive for all the boys in the quarry, that they see that it is possible, that you have to believe and be prepared for when it comes down to it. We are happy to see you with that shirt representing the Academy. Everything that will come to him in the future is good. He has level, personality, mentality and he will be able to convey what Atlético is to the fans. I see people’s reaction when he plays and it’s special. Our fans want to see them. We already have Pablo accompanying Saúl and Koke. All the work of the lower categories is paying off”.