Fernando Torres has opened old wounds with comments he made in a book by Simon Hughes.
The Spaniard, one of Liverpool’s most beloved players during his time at the club, forced through a move to Chelsea in the January transfer window of 2011 because he thought the club weren’t offering him what he needed: elite football.
In a book by Simon Hughes called ‘Ring of Fire – Liverpool into the 21st Century and the players’ stories‘, Torres claims FSG had told him their aims were long term and that he had to force a move to Chelsea to get what he wanted.
“Comolli told me that the new owners (FSG), they had an idea of how to spend their investment,” he began.
“They wanted to bring in young players, to build something new. I was thinking to myself, this takes time to work. It takes two, three, four, maybe even 10 years.
“I didn’t have that time. I was 27 years old. I did not have time to wait. I wanted to win. Here we are five years later and they are still trying to build – around the same position in the league as when I left.
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“It was presented as if I was a traitor. It was not like this in the discussion.
“Liverpool could not admit they were doing something wrong with the whole team. They had to find a guilty one.”
Upon his departure fans who sung his name in adoration burnt his shirt on television as the betrayal of a move to rivals Chelsea overwhelmed the most intense of supporters. The hatchet was unofficially buried in 2015 at Anfield during a Charity game but his comments have incensed fans.
Upon moving to Chelsea, El Niño won the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League and made it to the final of the Champions League with Atletico Madrid last season while Liverpool won a solitary League Cup. You could say that his motives were justified by his success compared to Liverpool’s but the fact that he chose to move to Chelsea burned fans even more.
Personally, I forgave Torres awhile ago but it hurts to hear him say that it was Liverpool’s fault and allude to the fact that he couldn’t see himself at the club any longer.