Finished A Laughing Stock At Milan & Chelsea - But Now Torres Can Win The Champions League

The Spain striker seemed to be reaching the end of his best years after a doomed spell in Italy, but is enjoying a remarkable renaissance under Diego Simeone and it could continue

Fernando Torres returns to San Siro a different player to the one who last played there in November 2014. After a disastrous move to Chelsea and a disappointing spell at AC Milan, the Spanish striker can cap a remarkable transformation by winning the Champions League at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday.

Torres claimed the Champions League crown with Chelsea in 2012, but admits winning the trophy at Atletico would mean much more and after scoring only once for AC Milan in 10 games, he returns to San Siro for a fixture he described on Friday as "the greatest game of my life".

"I hope it's a magic place," he said of his return to the famous arena where Atletico take on Madrid for the trophy on Saturday. "San Siro is to me like Atletico's stadium. Let's hope it's a unique night for the history of the club."

Written off as a flop at Chelsea and described as finished in Italy, Torres has reignited his career at Atleti under Diego Simeone. After spending the second half of last season on loan at the Vicente Calderon, he has netted 12 times in 43 appearances this term and is set to sign a two-year extension to remain at the club beyond the summer when his loan expires.

"My future is winning here, at Atletico," the striker said earlier this year. "As a player, it is still something I haven't done."

Torres helped Atletico to the title in Segunda after relegation from La Liga, but has failed to claim a major trophy with his boyhood club and on Saturday, he has the chance to win the very biggest of them all: the Champions League.

"It's the most important and special match of my career," he said on Friday. "I have the opportunity to make a dream come true. Simeone gave me the opportunity of fighting and I have had to in order to become an important player. This, without doubt, is the biggest match of my life."

That is some statement from a player who has already appeared in one Champions League final, a World Cup final and scored in two European Championship finals - but Torres means it. The 32-year-old is the biggest idol at Atletico and as a fan of the club himself, nothing would mean more to him than claiming the tophy on Saturday.

The former Liverpool forward has lifted his game this term and since January (and the departure of Jackson Martinez) in particular. The Colombian looked like the future for Atletico when he arrived in the summer and Torres very much the past, but exactly the opposite has happened and while the ex-Porto player has longe gone, Fernando is set to stay.

The new agreement with Torres will be announced some time after the final, with El Nino's partnership with Antoine Griezmann likely to be the pairing to start next season as well for Simeone's side.

Torres has played his part in Atletico's passage to the final, scoring in the penalty shootout against PSV Eindhoven, before netting in the last eight against Barcelona at Camp Nou and then working incredibly hard in the two legs against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

The 32-year-old was also sent off against Barca in the first match and missed a penalty against Bayern at the Allianz Arena, but his overall contribution has been invaluable and if he can top that off by winning the Champions League on Saturday night, it will be the realisation of a dream, the perfect end to a special story.

Credit:Goal