Sports Torres backs Atletico Madrid to win La Liga title

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Spain and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has backed the current La Liga leaders to win the title this season, saying that it would be "unfair" if Atletico Madrid do not win La Liga this season.

Atletico are sitting at the summit of the league four points ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona with four games of the season left to play as they look for a first top-flight title in 18 years.

Torres is in Chelsea's team to face his former club on Tuesday at the Vicente Calderon for the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final, and the striker underlined the confidence currently in the squad.

"Football would be very unfair if Atletico are not champions," Torres told El Mundo.

"I would be tremendously pleased for every one of the players, for the technical staff, for the fans, for everybody. Because football would give an opportunity to these values above money. That does not usually happen.

"This is not a team built to be champions. This is how it is. I am certain that [Diego] Simeone and the players have been saying 'why can’t we win tomorrow, and why can’t we win the next, and the next...'

"They are in a state of mind which has given them belief, and the ability to win. And going to the Bernabeu and winning, and going to Camp Nou and not losing, and going to difficult places, where before they would draw, and winning."

Torres - who left the club in 2007 for a big-money move to Liverpool - feels coach Simeone has been key to turning the squad into "champions", calling his achievements thus far "unthinkable".

"It's the triumph of values like sacrifice, work, humility, team work ... centered around Simeone, who has been able to unite the whole club," he added.

"Nobody will ever be able to speak highly enough of what he has done.

"Those of us who have been there thought that it was impossible to do this so quickly. Without him, this winning team would be impossible. He found a squad which was already made, arrived halfway through the season and what he has done was unthinkable.

"I suppose that only he and his players thought that it could happen. He is the protagonist without wanting to be."
 
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