Jose Mourinho says Fernando Torres won't "hide" against former club Atletico Madrid during Chelsea's Champions League semifinal.
The Spaniard has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge but is in line to face the Liga leaders in Tuesday's first leg clash after Samuel Eto'o did not travel with the squad because of a knee injury.
Torres came though the youth ranks at the Vicente Calderon, scoring 91 goals during seven seasons in the first team before joining Liverpool in 2007, but Mourinho is not concerned by his striker's state of mind ahead of the fixture.
"Playing in the Champions League is a big motivation for every player. Everyone wants to play. Those chosen are happy those who aren't, are not," he told reporters. "I am not saying that Fernando Torres will start, I am saying that he never hides. We feel that every day. He is a real Atletico supporter, I would say a big one. We talk about Spanish football every day.
"He is a professional. I have no doubts that the minutes he will be on the pitch tomorrow he will do everything for Chelsea given the professional that he is."
Mourinho also refuted claims that Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone is a superior coach to him.
"I don't agree," he said. "It is difficult to compare coaches; in fact it is not fair to do so.
"It is not fair to compare someone with 15 years of experience as a coach to one with less than that. It is something that I don't like to do."
After suffering semifinal defeats to Liverpool during his first spell in charge of Chelsea, Mourinho insists those disappointments do not provide extra motivation.
"I have no unfinished business with Chelsea in in the Champions League," he said. "I did my best. I always do my best. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
"In one semifinal we lost on penalties and in the other we lost because of a goal that wasn't a goal [a reference to a shot from Luis Garcia that was adjudged to have crossed the line], but that's football."
The Spaniard has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge but is in line to face the Liga leaders in Tuesday's first leg clash after Samuel Eto'o did not travel with the squad because of a knee injury.
Torres came though the youth ranks at the Vicente Calderon, scoring 91 goals during seven seasons in the first team before joining Liverpool in 2007, but Mourinho is not concerned by his striker's state of mind ahead of the fixture.
"Playing in the Champions League is a big motivation for every player. Everyone wants to play. Those chosen are happy those who aren't, are not," he told reporters. "I am not saying that Fernando Torres will start, I am saying that he never hides. We feel that every day. He is a real Atletico supporter, I would say a big one. We talk about Spanish football every day.
"He is a professional. I have no doubts that the minutes he will be on the pitch tomorrow he will do everything for Chelsea given the professional that he is."
Mourinho also refuted claims that Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone is a superior coach to him.
"I don't agree," he said. "It is difficult to compare coaches; in fact it is not fair to do so.
"It is not fair to compare someone with 15 years of experience as a coach to one with less than that. It is something that I don't like to do."
After suffering semifinal defeats to Liverpool during his first spell in charge of Chelsea, Mourinho insists those disappointments do not provide extra motivation.
"I have no unfinished business with Chelsea in in the Champions League," he said. "I did my best. I always do my best. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
"In one semifinal we lost on penalties and in the other we lost because of a goal that wasn't a goal [a reference to a shot from Luis Garcia that was adjudged to have crossed the line], but that's football."
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