Fernando Torres quizzed over ‘slow’ Chelsea comments

Torres was on the bench for Chelsea's win over Sunderland on Saturday

Fernando Torres has been told to explain an interview in which he seemed to criticise Chelsea team-mates. Torres, 27, spoke to the website of Spain’s Primera Liga last week, with a translation appearing on his personal website which quoted him as saying the club’s older players were “very slow.”

The striker has insisted he was misquoted in the English translation. However Chelsea, who are seeking an original Spanish version, are unlikely to fine the player.

Torres’ interview was authorised by the club – had it not been he would have faced heavier censure – but he is still set to have to explain the contents to manager Andre Villas-Boas.

While the English translation carried the direct criticism of team-mates, a Spanish version on his site carried a line that translated as saying the team “play very slowly”.

Keen to get an original version, Villas-Boas said: “We are going in-depth to regain the tape of that interview.

“We’ll see if things play exactly as they are in that interview.”

Asked what action would be taken if the translation proved accurate, the Portuguese said: “We’d just talk. Just talk to share opinion.

“If it was unauthorised, I’d fine him, of course. Anyhow, it’s one player’s perspective. “I don’t think it’s a perspective that the manager shares. I don’t have to share my players’ ideas sometimes.

“I think we have competence, apart from the ‘age problem’, which for me is not a problem.

“Maybe we just have to speak about that situation and he has to see our view as well.”

In the original interview, Torres admitted that it had taken him longer to settle at Chelsea than he would have predicted.

Despite becoming the most expensive player in British football when he completed a £50m move from Liverpool in January he has since scored just once in 22 club matches, was not involved in Spain’s Euro 2010 qualifier against Liechtenstein last week and found himself restricted to a late cameo in Saturday’s Premier League win at Sunderland.

Declining to say whether Torres was in line for an immediate recall for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Bayer Leverkusen, Villas-Boas said he hoped being dropped could add as extra motivation.

“I think any player who’s not part of the squad or the selected players is not happy,” he said.

“I’m glad because maybe you can stimulate them to go one step further, or motivate them a bit more.”

Source: BBC