Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez says the team is anticipating the return of Fernando Torres this week — but hopes the striker has a
bad game for Chelsea.
Torres, who left the Vicente Calderon for Liverpool in 2007 prior to his switch to Stamford Bridge, is set to face his boyhood club on home
turf for the first time in the Champions League semifinal Tuesday.
While Suarez says the struggling striker remains an idol for Atleti players, he hopes to see Torres endure a tough 90 minutes upon his
return to the Spanish capital.
“For all Atleticos it will be very special to see Torres playing here,” he is quoted as saying by Marca. “He has been an idol for many
of us and he’s coming back to the Calderon for the first time. If he plays, I hope he has a bad game and only enjoys himself after the
match.”
Suarez went on to stress that the sight of former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho in the opposition dugout will not prove a distraction
for Atletico.
“For me, it doesn’t matter who’s on the opposition bench,” he said.
“Of course, together with [Pep] Guardiola, [Diego] Simeone, [Rafael]
Benitez, he is one of the best coaches in the world. The important thing is we do things right. As the boss says, we approach it as a
final. We know that the first game is vital in this kind of knockout tie, and we’re playing at home, with our fans, our 12th man.” –
GOAL.com via Yahoo Sports
