OFFICIAL: Fernando Torres follows Iniesta to Japan

Torres, who drew an end to his time at Atletico Madrid last season, had been linked with teams in the USA and Australia, but he was unveiled on Tuesday as a Sagan Tosu player.

Tosu play in the Japanese J1 league, home also to Vissel Kobe, where Andres Iniesta recently moved. The side is managed by Massimo Ficcadenti, and the majority of the squad are Japanese nationals, apart from Colombian Victor Ibarbo.

The forward, who left Atleti with a bang, winning the Europa League, was out of contract at the club, and at the age of 34 his deal wasn't renewed.

 

10 July 2018

"I am moving because of their strong interest, for what they have offered me," Torres said of Tosu at his unveiling. "It's a challenge and I believe it's going to bring a lot to me. Asia was always one of my options."

"The Japanese league is a very competitive league, the level of the teams is very even. I will have a great friend in the same competition, Andres Iniesta. I will do everything in my power to help the team."

"I have been watching the team's games," he continued. "I have been following the coach...I have an idea of how the team wants to play. One thing is watching, but it's another thing to be here."

Torres will move immediately. "From next week onwards I will be training with them," he stated. I will start to learn words so I can be understood. The first game is 22 July, and I hope to be there."

 

10 July 2018

With regards to how long he will be at Tosu for, Torres is taking it one season at a time. "I'm not looking too far into the future," he said. "I want to enjoy the experience. I don't like being in places for short periods, but it depends on my performance. I would like to be here for many years."

He also explained that he was eager to try something new outside of Europe. "I had done what I wanted to do in Europe," he claimed."In the end the the option that ticked all the boxes for what I wanted was Sagan Tosu. There were English, Spanish and German teams interested, but I needed a change. None of these options came into my head."