Latest news with #FernandoTorres
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atletico Madrid poach 23-year-old talent from rivals Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid continue their battle of signatures, and Los Colchoneros are the latest to strike. Goalkeeper Mario de Luis, whose contract was up at the Santiago Bernabeu, has signed for Atletico. The 23-year-old goalkeeper was a free agent this summer, and with Fran Gonzalez operating as the third-choice for Real Madrid, and Diego Pineiro also in contention for Castilla, de Luis and Los Blancos decided to part ways. Atletico have signed him to a two-year deal until 2027, with Spain under-21 goalkeeper Alejandro Iturbe set to leave the club. Advertisement De Luis to have role under Fernando Torres De Luis, who has earned a cap for the under-21 side himself in the past, is set to become the starter for Atletico's B side under Fernando Torres. The former Liverpool striker has taken over as the B team manager this summer, and will be familiar with de Luis' work having faced him with the under-19 side. Image via Atletico Madrid He stands out for his reflexes in goal, and in the 2022-23 season, was the starter under Raul Gonzalez for Castilla, keeping 13 clean sheets in 34 games. However de Luis has fallen out of favour for the starting role in the last two seasons, making eight appearances last year, and 11 this season in relief for Gonzalez. Advertisement Atletico Madrid B name change As reported by Diario AS, Atletico B will also change their name this coming season. The affiliate side will be known as Atletico Madrileno from now on, returning to the name they until 1991, 34 years ago. That was also the name they played under from their foundation, in 1970. Many are excited to see what Torres can do with Atletico Madrileno, having enjoyed success with the under-19 side. With Alvaro Arbeloa also earning promotion to the Castilla side, replacing Raul, the two will do battle again in Primera RFEF, the third tier of Spanish football.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Transfers that shook the world: A new podcast series from The Athletic FC
What's the transfer that stung you the most? Every football fan will remember a moment in their lives when they've been let down, betrayed, scorned — pick your appropriate adjective accordingly — by a player who turned their backs on their clubs in favour of a controversial new challenge elsewhere. Advertisement Across a six-part series on The Athletic FC Podcast, we'll recall six deals that truly shook the entire industry — and explain how they happened. We'll take you on a trip back in time, providing insider perspectives and fierce debate from expert reporters from The Athletic, including David Ornstein's memories of breaking the news when the stories were developing. You'll hear about the secret deals that saw furious fans burning shirts of their heroes who turned into villains overnight. Starting today with Fernando Torres' blockbuster switch from Liverpool to Chelsea in January 2011, a fresh episode will be released every Friday over the next six weeks. Listen for free wherever you get your podcasts, including on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and The Athletic app. (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Money, excitement, prestige' - is Wirtz 'biggest signing in Liverpool's history'?
Securing Florian Wirtz on the back of winning the Premier League? It doesn't get any is probably the biggest signing in Liverpool's history. The money, the excitement, the prestige.I was incredibly excited for the Thiago Alcantara signing, right after he was man of the match in the Champions League final for Bayern Munich. But in truth, he was past his best due to injuries and there was a reason the Germans were allowing him an exit. What a beautiful footballer to watch, Torres was a big name when we bought him, but not as recognised as Wirtz on the big stage. Torres made a name for himself at Liverpool, while Wirtz is already a two-time Bundesliga Player of the recent greats like Luis Suarez, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane were highly rated before their arrivals, but not superstars - and were purchased at normal £100m, potentially reaching £116m, the Wirtz deal is mega-money. It is the kind of money I never thought Liverpool would spend under FSG's tenure, if I'm honest. But it shows that when the right player is available, they will press the button. They broke records at the time when they signed Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, remember. And if Wirtz has half the impact those two have had, it will be money will spent, too. Liverpool's spine now looks jaw-dropping. Alisson in net, Virg and Ibou Konate at centre-back. Young Player of the Year Ryan Gravenberch with World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister in midfield, and Wirtz in the number 10 question now is with Darwin Nunez's future at the club uncertain, will the Reds go big again on a centre-forward? I think they just do you think Wirtz is the biggest signing in Liverpool's history? And what does it say about the club's current pulling power?Get in touch here with your thoughts Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external
Irish Independent
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
The Jurgen Klopp disciple ready to boost Pep Guardiola's Manchester City
Some worrying news for bookshops on Merseyside. Any copies of Intensity by Pep Lijnders are likely to remain on the shelves. They may want to instead store them with El Nino, the Fernando Torres autobiography that was a love story to Liverpool. But Torres joined Chelsea and now, barely a year after leaving Liverpool, Lijnders' return to English football comes alongside Pep Guardiola.
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The Jurgen Klopp disciple ready to boost Pep Guardiola's Man City
Some worrying news for bookshops on Merseyside. Any copies of 'Intensity' by Pep Lijnders are likely to remain unsold on the shelves. They may want to instead store them with 'El Nino', the Fernando Torres autobiography that was a love story to Liverpool. But Torres joined Chelsea and now, barely a year after leaving Liverpool, Lijnders' return to English football could come by Pep Guardiola 's side. The supporters who branded Trent Alexander-Arnold a traitor for heading for Real Madrid – though one of their complaints has been removed now he is no longer going on a free transfer, but for €10m – may transfer their irritation to Jurgen Klopp 's sidekick should he materialise at Manchester City, the club who ensured one of the great Liverpool managers won a lone league title. If a year away has illustrated the legacy Klopp and Lijnders left, with Arne Slot's success reflecting well on the previous regime, it may have been chastening in other respects. Klopp's popularity in Germany has been dented by the decision of a man who was a byword for authenticity to work for the despised Red Bull group. Lijnders, once touted as a potential successor to Klopp at Anfield, floundered in his second attempt to go it alone. He was sacked by RB Salzburg – a couple of weeks before Klopp took up his role at their parent organisation – with the usually dominant force in Austrian football only fifth in the Bundesliga, 10 points off the lead, and having lost five of their six Champions League games. Defeats without scoring to Sparta Prague, Brest and Dinamo Zagreb were scarcely the great European nights Lijnders experienced at Liverpool. Take out the tribalism of football, however, and there is logic on both his and Guardiola's side; this could be a marriage of considerable convenience. City parted company with three assistant coaches, in Carlos Vicens, Inigo Domingues and Juanma Lillo, which could leave Guardiola looking lonely. Lillo, in particular, was a symbolic figure; Guardiola admired him so much he went to Mexico to end his playing career under Lillo at Dorados Sinaloa. Yet if City's explanation was simply that Lillo, whose contract expired this summer, wanted to return to Spain – and he never spoke much English – Guardiola's most torrid season featured many a strange decision. The Guardiola-Lillo axis may not have worked as well as it did. At 42, Lijnders is 17 years younger than the wizened Spaniard, with a Premier League pedigree, multilingual – speaking Spanish and Portuguese – and bringing an energy Klopp appreciated as he aged. That City struggled with the physicality of many an opponent last season could give an added reason to appoint a coach responsible for some Liverpool sides who were primed to outrun anyone. For Lijnders, meanwhile, a step backwards could nevertheless bring one of the plum coaching jobs, just not a managerial post. He was interviewed by Norwich, before they appointed Liam Manning. The City Football Group, with their portfolio of clubs, could suit Lijnders' long-term plan to get back into management. Or, if Klopp does not return to management, he could do with finding a new patron. A double act of Pep and Pep may sound good. A theme of Guardiola's career has been his ability to win with different assistants, starting with Tito Vilanova at Barcelona. At City, he has been joined by Mikel Arteta, Brian Kidd, Domenec Torrent, Rodolfo Borrell, Enzo Maresca and Lillo. Lijnders' partnership with Klopp followed the break-up of his long-term alliance with Zeljko Buvac. The Dutchman's ideas nevertheless took Liverpool to greater heights; arguably they played less heavy-metal football but they won the 2019 Champions League and the 2020 Premier League and pursued the quadruple in 2022. His brief spell at Salzburg, like a similarly short stint at Nijmegen in 2018, could suggest that Lijnders is no manager. While he could coin Klopp-style soundbites – 'our identity is intensity' was one – perhaps they didn't sound right without Klopp and he lacked his mentor's degree in people. Lijnders is thought to be aware of his shortcomings. As a coach, though, his reputation is safe. Klopp initially inherited him, asked by Fenway Sports Group's Mike Gordon to give him a go. He agreed, ringing the FSG president a few weeks into his reign to tell him that he didn't like Lijnders only, after a dramatic pause, to add that he loved him. He brought him back to Anfield after Buvac left. He played him at padel, often losing to a man 16 years his junior; that was a sign of Lijnders' competitiveness. Unlike Peter Krawietz, Klopp's other assistant and a far quieter figure, Lijnders had a profile in his own right. He did the pre-match media duties before Carabao Cup games, to prepare him for the return to management, which then backfired. Instead, he is primed to join the select group who have crossed the great divide and played a part for arguably the two most influential managers of their generation. For Ilkay Gundogan, Robert Lewandowski and Thiago Alcantara, however, it was as players. For Lijnders, in the opposing dugout for titanic duels as Klopp enjoyed a rare winning record against Guardiola, it will be as a coach. Liverpool could win the games but, over 38 matches, City won the title in Lijnders' last four seasons at Anfield. So if he couldn't beat Guardiola, he will now join him.
