Fernando Torres has pinpointed the “chaotic” takeover of Liverpool last autumn as a key reason why he moved to Chelsea and claimed that the camaraderie among his new team-mates is better than at his former club.
Though the mood in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has naturally been affected by the team’s inconsistent form, Torres believes he has joined a happier camp than the one he left when he swapped Anfield for Stamford Bridge in a £50 million move in January.
“What I didn’t expect when I got to Chelsea was that the atmosphere would be so different from Liverpool.” Torres said. “I expected it to be more distant given that this has a reputation for being a superstar team.
“There are better personal relations and more jokes between the players than at Liverpool, where everything is a lot more serious. Here you don’t have to demonstrate that you are a professional, it’s taken as the minimum.”
Torres was a huge success on Merseyside, but claims that the protracted saga of Liverpool’s sale to Fenway Sports Group in October — against the wishes of the owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks — convinced him to leave. Torres, 26, said he feared the club would embark on a rebuilding process that would make it harder for him to win trophies during his prime.
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“I knew I was an idol for the Liverpool fans, but it wasn’t the same any more,” he said. “The institution was in chaos with the sale. There was all this talk of possible projects.
“It reminded me of Atlético Madrid: a great history, many ideas but without money. It needed time and I don’t have that. People aren’t honest in the world of football. You can’t say the truth or be clear with people. It’s a business and nobody is anyone’s friend.”
The striker is optimistic about Chelsea’s potential. “Winning trophies is all they care about here and, for me, the Champions League is the dream,” he said. “After having won the European Championship and the World Cup, it’s the maximum challenge left.
“Obviously I want to win the Premier League, too. It’s one of the great prizes in the game and I think we will win more than one while I am here.”
Chelsea received a boost yesterday when Didier Drogba returned to training after a hip injury. The Ivory Coast striker was substituted after 55 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Blackpool on Monday and missed three days’ training after complaining of a sore hip.
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Drogba was fit enough to train yesterday however, and is targeting a return to the side in next week’s Champions League round-of-16, second-leg match against Copenhagen after being dropped for the first leg.