La Liga: Fernando Torres is back at Atletico Madrid but can he rekindle the old magic at his boyhood club?

Adam Bate wonders whether Fernando Torres can rekindle the old magic at Atletico Madrid...

And so El Nino returns to Atletico. The Kid is now 30 and, on the face of it, his return ought to be a triumphant one. Fernando Torres comes back to Madrid loaded with silverware and, in the words of the team’s star midfielder Koke, “an example to all the youngsters” at Atletico.

Since embarking on his English adventure with Liverpool in 2007, Torres has become a World Cup winner. He’s also won two European Championships for his country as well as a Champions League and a Europa League success with Chelsea, scoring in the final of three of those tournaments. In the Champions League, he had to settle for the stunning semi-final denouement against Barcelona in the Camp Nou. The goal that launched a thousand screams.

And yet, he gets ready to pull on the Atletico shirt once again not as the main man at the club he loves but instead as something akin to a project. The 18-month loan deal following his switch from Chelsea to AC Milan comes laced with uncertainty and more than a hint of sentiment.

Consider the reactions of those on the periphery. Spanish football expert Sid Lowe says "I really hope it works out for him”, while Sky Sports correspondent Guillem Balague cites the player’s desire to “rediscover his love for football” as a factor in the move. The tone that accompanies the transfer is closer to pity than the glorious arrival of the prodigal son.

With question marks over his diminished physical capabilities as well as his appetite, Torres comes back more in hope than expectation. But is an upturn in form so outlandish? After all, there is some cause to believe that Torres can be inspired by the love of the Calderon crowd.

Having been in the stadium for the Champions League semi-final between Atletico and Chelsea last season, discounting that possibility does not seem so straightforward. Torres was asked to play the role of lone frontman for Chelsea that night but Jose Mourinho had little inclination to provide his striker with much help. It was a thankless task in an arena full of gratitude.

Torres was unable to break the stalemate in that first leg – he did open the scoring in the second - but he appeared to revel in the role. Freed from the responsibility of hold-up play – there was nobody to hold it up for – he charged at the Atletico defence, stirring local memories with his shimmies and feints. Torres completed six dribbles that night, more than the entire Atletico team put together.

It was enough to save face in front of his own and upon the final whistle he was treated to a heartfelt reception from the Atletico fans as he lingered to drink in the adulation. The experience clearly left an impression on Torres. “Before and after the game has been spectacular,” he said. “I'm eternally grateful to the fans for their welcome. This was my home for many years and it felt exactly the same tonight.”

How he must miss those times. The days before the stresses and strains of a £50m fee put him on a collision course with a body unwilling to comply with the demands and expectations that such a number brings.

Perhaps Torres is taking a risk in signing for the only elite club left that is still willing to believe in his magic. However, the anticipation in Madrid comes wrapped in the warmth that comes from having scored almost 100 goals for the club he left as a 23-year-old.

By that time he’d been part of the 2000/01 promotion-winning side, a symbolic figure of teenage hope for an Atletico forced to endure the second-tier while Real paraded an eighth Champions League trophy around the city. He’d even captained a team that included the man who is now his manager. And it’s the presence of Diego Simeone that many feel is so significant right now.

“I'm convinced that, with the desire he has as a Rojiblanco, and the help of the boss, we're going to see a great Fernando,” says Atletico full-back Juanfran, quoted in Marca. Fabio Capello has gone further, telling the same newspaper: “Simeone is going to make Torres come good. It is not only to do with systems: it is a confidence thing. Torres has become a bit subdued but is going to rediscover what he has lost thanks to Cholo, who is going to reinvigorate him.”

Of course, Torres has had great coaches before. Even Rafael Benitez was unable to conjure up the performances of old during their time at Chelsea, while Mourinho’s famous man-management skills rarely seemed to bring the best out of the Spaniard. And yet, the mix of Simeone and Atletico is an intriguing one.

A Copa del Rey clash with Real Madrid followed by a trip to Barcelona in La Liga is a daunting start to 2015 but it also represents the perfect platform for Torres to perform. That stoppage-time goal against Barca for Chelsea in 2012 was pure theatre. But a Camp Nou strike in the stripes of Atletico next week might just top it. Madrid holds its breath. El Nino is back.