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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

Fernando Torres snubs Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho when naming his best ever coach

Fernando Torres has snubbed Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho by naming former Atletico Madrid and Spain boss Luis Aragones his best ever coach.

Torres emerged as an exciting prospect at Atletico under Aragones and won the 2008 European Championship with Spain under the same manager.

But he also enjoyed a prolific three seasons at Anfield working under former Liverpool boss Benitez in which he scored 72 goals.

Torres and Benitez were briefly reunited at Chelsea before managerial icon Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge for the 2013/14 campaign.

But Torres insists Aragones is "undoubtedly" his best ever coach during a segment in upcoming Amazon Prime documentary 'Fernando Torres: The Last Symbol', per AS .

Torres had two spells under Benitez (Michael Regan)

"The ability to learn a little from each coach is a virtue," Torres said. "If I had to choose one, it would undoubtedly be Luis Aragones.

"But I have learnt from the coaches that I’ve had - through their management, day-to-day matters and training - that there are lots of things they must control. You can see the difficulties they have, but when you are a footballer you don’t always appreciate it.

What are your memories of Torres in the Premier League? Have your say here.

Torres spent one season working under Mourinho (Charlie Crowhurst)

“If one day I decide to become a manager I am sure that it will be hard work. It is an enormous strain, and I’ve seen that first hand.

"I would take a little of the many (managers) I have had, but without a doubt if I had to choose one it would be Luis.

"My first stage with him came to me very young, without the necessary maturity to understand everything he said to me and I lost many lessons.

"In the national team I was more mature and I could understand him better.

"He was the person who prepared me for what football brought behind - the media, rest, the relationship with colleagues and things that I did not understand. These were things that I understood seven or eight years later."

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