MALIN: Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak attends a training session at San Siro Stadium on Friday.—Reuters
MALIN: Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak attends a training session at San Siro Stadium on Friday.—Reuters

MILAN: Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres has called the Champions League final with Real Madrid the game of his life as he yearns for a first trophy with his boyhood club.

Torres made his debut for the Madrid team in 2001 after joining their youth setup as a child and later became captain before departing for Liverpool in 2007.

He returned to Atletico in January 2015, missing out on a glut of trophies between 2012-14 and their 4-1 defeat by Real in the 2014 Champions League final.

Although Torres won the Champions League with Chelsea and two European Championships and the World Cup with Spain, he said all those triumphs would pale by comparison to Atletico becoming kings of Europe.

“Without any doubt it’s the most important, special and lovely game of my life,” Torres told a news conference on Friday.

FERNANDO Torres.—AP
FERNANDO Torres.—AP

“Anything I can do with the club that gave me the chance to start my career, the team I was a fan of since I was five years old, is different to anything else I’ve won.

“I won things with Chelsea, with Spain, but this is different, this is special,” added Torres.

“It’s what I wanted when I was a kid, more than I dreamed.”

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan turbulence
Updated 19 Mar, 2024

Afghan turbulence

RELATIONS between the newly formed government and Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban rulers have begun on an...
In disarray
19 Mar, 2024

In disarray

IT is clear that there is some bad blood within the PTI’s ranks. Ever since the PTI lost a key battle over ...
Festering wound
19 Mar, 2024

Festering wound

PROTESTS unfolded once more in Gwadar, this time against the alleged enforced disappearances of two young men, who...
Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...