Fernando Torres announces he will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season
Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2018 by squawka.com
Fernando Torres has announced that he will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season after playing more than 330 times for the club he joined as a boy.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea forward released a statement to the public confirming that he would depart from the Madrid-based team at the end of this season, however he also made it clear he intends to carry on playing.
Torres, now 34, joined Atletico as a school boy and progressed through the youth ranks before signing his first professional contract with them in 1999 at the age of 15.
He has since gone on to score 126 times for Los Rojiblancos but with game time limited this season, he has decide to call time on his career with the club, with his current deal expiring this summer.
"This will be my last season at the club. As you can see I am playing very little," Torres announced, according to Sky Sports.
He rejoined Atletico in 2014 after a loan spell in Italy with AC Milan, but the former Liverpool marksman has only seen 526 minutes of action this season in La Liga, scoring twice.
"I felt obliged to inform the supporters. It's not been an easy decision. This is not a day for reproaches.
"It's very difficult to say goodbye for the second time. My aim was to hang up my boots here. I want to keep playing for two, three or five years."
Club to honour Torres at final match of the season
Recognising that Torres has been an excellent servant for the club during his two spells, Atletico confirmed that they would be honouring the striker in their final game of the season against Eibar on 20 May, saying they will make it an "unforgettable" occasion.
"Fernando is a legend of our club," Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said, adding: "The doors of Atletico de Madrid will always be open for him.
"We have always said that he would have the decision about his future because this is his home and if he has decided to continue his professional career from the next season in another place, I can only thank him for everything he has given us, which is a lot."
Torres has enjoyed a glittering career that has seen him win the 2012 Champions League while at Chelsea as well as the 2012 FA Cup and the 2013 Europa League.
As a player for Spain he won two European Championships in 2008 and 2012 as well as the 2010 World Cup.
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