Mou backs Torres against Athletico

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has insisted
he has the utmost respect for Atletico
Madrid ahead of the first leg of their
Champions League semi-final.
Chelsea face the Spanish league leaders in
Madrid on Tuesday night and, in the
absence of Samuel Eto'o, Mourinho
expects Fernando Torres to shine against
the club where he made his name.
"I spoke to my team about their qualities
and they are a team we respect," said
Mourinho. "No team arrives at this stage
without being a very good team and
Atletico are no exception.
"To reach the Champions League semi-
finals and to be fighting for the Spanish
title, you must be a special team. I have
watched them play lots of times, I studied
them a lot and tried to make my players
ready for what they can do.
"Every player and manager wants to play in
the Champions League semi-finals. It is a
big motivation for every player and they
want to play. Everyone who is fit will be
full of motivation."
Torres is expected to feature against his
former club where he scored 82 goals over
six seasons before his move to Liverpool in
2007.
Mourinho has no doubt that the striker will
be able to perform at his best in a stadium
where he is still venerated.
"The minutes he is on the pitch he is going
to try everything for Chelsea, like the
professional he is," said Mourinho.
"I am not saying that Fernando Torres will
start, I am saying that he never hides. We
feel that every day.
"We talk about Spanish football and he's a
big Atletico supporter, but he's a
professional."
Mourinho would be not be drawn on the
fall-out after Sunderland ended his 77-
match unbeaten home league run in a
tumultuous match on Saturday night.
"Chelsea today and Tuesday is the
Champions League and we are only
available to speak about Champions
League," he added.
"We are lucky to be involved in the
Champions League, so we are lucky that in
the next two days we don't think about
the Premier League and what's happened
and what is going to happen because now
we only think about Tuesday."
Asked how important it is that his players,
his staff and he himself keep their
composure on Tuesday, Mourinho insisted:
"We always behave in relation to the
situation."