Fernando Torres is the latest member of the Atletico Madrid camp to come out in defence of the side’s playing style.
Los Colchoneros prepare to face arch-rivals Real Madrid in Saturday’s capital derby, but much of the build-up has been overshadowed by their on-field antics, which have been perceived as many to be dirty and not in the spirit of the beautiful game.
“A win would be very important,” the striker said in an interview with former Atleti teammate Kiko Narvaez to AS.
“If you don’t win, there are many games, but … For us [it’s important] not only because we’d stop Madrid adding [to their lead] but also for the confidence it’d give us.
“We want to beat Madrid again, this time at [Vicente] Calderon. [A win would] put us closer to them, and we could face our upcoming matches with a different attitude and a different dynamic.
“At the end of the day, football at the end is all about dynamics. Despite our elimination from the Copa [del Rey], we’ve kept on going and must continue doing so.
“Every team have a way of playing which is best for them, but those little details can hurt your opponents. There’s always one move which can win you the game.
“If you bring the game to your opponents’ box, you have more options. [Madrid] do that very well.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I don’t think [we’re dirty]. You can talk to Sergio Ramos, who is one of the best centre-backs in the world. Is he a soft or hard player?”
