Torres defends Club World Cup

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has defended the importance of the Club World Cup, saying he wants to win the tournament.

The 28-year-old has flown to Japan with his team-mates ahead of their first game against Monterrey on Wednesday.

Rafa Benitez’s side were handed a bye in the first round and they will enter the competition at the semi-final stage.

The competition has attracted criticism in the past, often being cited as little more than FIFA PR exercise with its importance being brought into question.

Nevertheless, Torres has defended the competition, arguing that both fans and players alike take it seriously.

He said Chelsea want to use this as an opportunity to erase the hurt felt by the 4-1 hammering suffered at the hands of Atletico Madrid at the start of the campaign in the European Super Cup.

“How many people don’t take this tournament seriously, or don’t think it is like the real World Cup? It is for the clubs,” Torres told reporters.

“You ask the South American people. David Luiz showed me a video of Corinthians fans at the airport, it was full of fans cheering the team and travelling to Japan to support, so it is important.

“In Europe maybe we don’t give it as much attention, and to some people it might not mean much, but to me it does, so this is not a holiday or a break, this is a World Cup.

“It’s nice to be involved, and maybe to be able to say you are a world champion. The European Super Cup was just as important to us and we lost, so we don’t want that disappointment.”