Fernando Torres is taking the next step in his coaching career: after two years as U-19 coach, the 2010 world champion is taking over the second team at Atletico Madrid. His path is reminiscent of the one Xabi Alonso once took
It’s the news of the day for Atletico Madrid. The headline on the home page of the club’s website reads: “Fernando Torres becomes new coach of Atletico Madrid B”. After three years as youth coach at the Rojiblancos, Torres will take over the Champions League contender’s second team on July 1.
Torres feels “great responsibility” about the new task. “It’s been three years of constant learning,” he says of his time as U-19 coach, during which he also coached Atletico in 15 Youth League games (2.0 points on average): “For me, this step is very important and I want to be ambitious to get better every day in order to face the challenges and responsibilities ahead in the best possible way. At the same time, I know that I’m in no rush.”
The path Torres is currently taking is very reminiscent of the one once taken by another 2010 world champion, Xabi Alonso. After a year as a youth coach at former club Real Madrid, the current successful Bayer 04 Leverkusen coach took over Real Sociedad’s second team for three years before leading the Werkself to the first double in the club’s history
Torres knows what the core of his new role is – and wants to achieve exactly that: “The aim of a reserve team is to get as many players as possible into the first team. We have to make it clear to the players that their dream must be to play for Atletico Madrid and prepare them for the first team. “
Place 9 should only be the beginning
How exactly is that supposed to work? “The best way to do that is to face a very complicated task with ambition and know that Atletico Madrid will demand everything from you. We have to try to do as well as possible and get the team as high up the table as possible, because that will prepare them for what comes next.”
Atletico Madrid’s reserves have been playing in Spain’s third division since last season. As promoted teams, the Rojiblancos finished in a respectable ninth place in 2023/24.
