Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has been named as head coach of Atletico Madrid’s B team.
Torres was coach of Atleti’s under-19 side prior to accepting his new role.
“I accept it as a great challenge with a lot of ambition and the tranquillity of knowing that we are ready,” Torres said.
He enjoyed a fine playing career having made 110 appearances for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup as well as two European Championships in 2008 and 2012 with the team.
The 40-year-old scored the winning goal in the 2008 final as Spain beat Germany 1-0 as well as a goal in La Roja’s 4-0 thumping of Italy in 2012.
Torres started his playing career at boyhood club Atletico Madrid before joining Liverpool in 2007.
After three-and-a-half years of prolifically scoring for the Reds, Torres signed for Chelsea in January 2011 for a then-British transfer record of £50million.
The Spaniard struggled to discover the same goalscoring form at Stamford Bridge as he did at Anfield, however, he won the FA Cup and Champions League in the 2011/12 season as well as the Europa League the following campaign.
A brief spell with AC Milan came before he returned to Atleti in the 2015/16 season on loan before making it permanent in the summer of 2016.
Torres helped them to Europa League glory in 2017/18, leaving at the end of the season and making the move to Japanese side Sagan Tosu in 2018.
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He announced his retirement in 2019 and moved into the coaching world two years later.