The choirboy looks have always been deceiving in the case of Fernando Torres, a striker who has already made it clear during the opening week of Euro 2008 that he is haughty enough to regard being substituted as a personal affront. Torres appeared to blank Luis Aragones when his number was flashed up in Spain's opening game against Russia, but the Liverpool player insisted yesterday that there was "no problem" with his national coach.
Torres stopped short of apologising but admitted being frustrated as he tried to explain his reaction to being replaced 54 minutes into Spain's 4-1 victory. "I was angry with myself," he said, "but it isn't true that I refused to shake the coach's hand. Luis was six metres away from me, we weren't that close and I would never show any disrespect to him. I know that I can't get angry for more than 30 seconds when I've got team-mates next to me who didn't play [in the game] at all."
Aragones, who coached Torres when he was at Atletico Madrid, reprimanded him after the game, telling reporters he understood the player's disappointment but could not let the incident pass. However, the 69-year-old is understood to have accepted Torres's explanation ahead of today's Group D matches, with Spain due to take on Sweden before Greece and Russia, without a point between them, meet in Salzburg.
"I understand if Fernando was a little ticked off with me because that happened to me as a player and I know how I felt," Aragones said. "But my thinking is that every footballer who comes off early is irritated with himself more than anything else. That's how I always reacted."
That appears to have struck a chord with Torres, whose frustration might partly stem from the fact he has been substituted in 22 of his 40 international appearances under Aragones. "The big advantage of having an ex-player as the coach is that he has experienced these things hundreds of times," said Torres. "Luis showed me the rules of dressing room when I was 16 years old and the important thing is that what happens is left on the pitch. I have spoken with the coach and there is no problem."
The same message of unity was also forthcoming from Cesc Fábregas, who is again likely to begin on the bench and whose absence from the starting XI has led to reports in Spain of a rift with Xavi, the Barcelona player who is keeping him out of the side.
"I don't want to speak about this because it is a stupid thing that has been invented by someone, and I don't know for what motive," said Fábregas . "Playing beside Xavi is one of the greatest things that can happen to you if you're a football player. He is fantastic."
Sweden's coach, Lars Lagerback, is not fazed by Spain and believes his side are capable of winning Group D. "This is the match that decides the group standings," Lagerback said. "Spain are a very technical team but my team have showed they can work hard."