Fernando Torres hopeful of ´many more years´ at Atletico Madrid

Fernando Torres hopes he will stay with Atletico Madrid for many more years as he continues to wait for a decision from the club on whether they will extend his contract.

The Atletico striker scored twice in the last game at Vicente Calderon on Sunday as Diego Simeone’s men defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-1.

Torres is set to be out of contract but insists he is remaining calm as the club formulate their plans, a delay he feels is affected by the wait to see if their FIFA transfer ban will be lifted following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I still feel the same pride to belong to this club,” the 33-year-old said to AS.

“I want to enjoy many more years with this team and this jersey. And above all, to thank these fans for all the support they have given me in the good moments and the bad moments. Next year we will try and do it all again.

“We are leaving the Calderon. It has been very emotional. The moments we have lived through have been very special, since some of us were only small.”

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Torres added to EFE: “It depends on many things. You know how it is. The club, right now, has a sanction which stops them from signing, we will see what the CAS say, what the club decide, if we can bring in players and if not, who counts and who doesn’t.

“In the end we will decide what’s for the best. The club have people in charge of these things and it depends on them. Since I arrived here as a 10-year-old there has never been a problem with the club and there never will be, in this sense we are the same.

“I hope I can be in the new stadium next season, helping my team-mates, scoring goals and making history for the club. But you can never know what will happen until it’s signed.” 

“At the moment it doesn’t depend on me. I’m calm about it. My desire is to stay here, because it’s what I’m sure I will enjoy, but at the moment it’s not about me.”

Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette is set to join Atletico subject to their transfer ban, a punishment imposed after they were found guilty of breaking international rules surrounding the signing of young players, being lifted.