Atletico Madrid captain Gabi has stated that he prefers that former Rojiblancos and current Chelsea striker Fernando Torres didn't play against them. The La Liga leaders' skipper says the Blues attacker is a “highly-influential” player and that is why he wishes he doesn't feature in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals game between Gabi's Atletico Madrid and Torres' Chelsea.
Fernando Torres started his football career at the Madrid side, playing through the ranks of the Atletico Madrid youth team before making his first first-team appearance on May 2001. El Nino went on to rack up 243 appearances for the Rojiblancos, scoring 93 goals, before leaving them for Liverpool in 2007.
Gabi and Torres were friends during their time together at Atletico, leading to the Atletico Madrid captain to say: this is going to be an emotional game for Fernando, because he hasn't yet had the chance to return to his boyhood club. Every Atlético fan is grateful for everything he did for this club. This game is a vital one for us so we'll leave the pleasantries until after the final whistle."
“Fernando Torres is a hugely influential big-game player. It's up to his coach whether he starts or not, but I'd prefer it if he didn't because he's a cracking player.”
