Fernando Torres reveals how Jurgen Klopp and a visit to Liverpool shaped his coaching philosophy

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After retiring in 2020, Torres returned to Anfield as part of the Liverpool Legends team in 2024, and, as he has revealed in a new interview, the trip ended up being more than just a cathartic reunion with the Kop. After being invited to watch Liverpool train under Jurgen Klopp, it actually shaped the 42-year-old’s burgeoning coaching philosophy.

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Klopp was the biggest influence on Torres the coachTorres has been steadily making a name for himself as a coach in Spain, taking charge of Atletico Madrid’s U19s before stepping into the B team job in 2024.Tipped to eventually take over from Diego Simeone with the senior team, it feels like only a matter of time before we see Liverpool’s former No. 9 make the leap, be it at Atletico or elsewhere.When he does, Torres has suggested that fans can expect to see plenty of Klopp in his teams, after admitting that his visit to Liverpool two years ago helped to really cement his ideas as a coach.“I went to England with Rafa Benítez, who has been a very influential coach,” the World Cup winner told Marca.READ MORE: Jamie Carragher explains why he’s beginning to change his mind about Andoni Iraola at Liverpool“Ancelotti, then Mourinho, Simeone – I’ve had some great coaches, but back then I never thought about becoming a coach myself.

So, I think I’ve taken a little bit from everyone, I’ve learned from everyone, but once I focused on wanting to be a coach, the coach who has influenced me the most is Jurgen Klopp.“I was lucky enough to see him work for a week when he invited me to Liverpool during his last season, and what you see in his teams is that verticality, the way they press, the intensity, how people connect with that idea, especially in England, right? “That end-to-end football that I like so much, his leadership in the dressing room, I was lucky enough to be in the talks, to be in the hotel, being there when he announced the lineup and that mutual respect between the coach and the players, how they accept an idea and think it’s the best.”If Torres does make it to the professional game and makes good on his promise of playing like Klopp, it might not be beyond the realms of possibility that he does one day come back to Liverpool on the touchline.