There is a danger when a popular player returns to the scene of past glories that it will not be the same the second time around.
Fernando Torres was a darling of the Calderon when he played for Atletico Madrid between 2001 and 2007.
He had been at the club since he was 13 years old and fans who called him “The Kid” were upset to see him leave for Liverpool in an Anfield club record £21.5 million (Dh120.9m) transfer in 2007.
They also reluctantly accepted that Atletico was a selling club who did not compete for trophies.
It hurt, though, for Torres was one of them.
When he said that Atletico fans were “a prisoner to a feeling” they knew he understood what it meant to support their club, which had won nothing.
Current captain Gabi, another lifelong fan, said: “Being Atleti is a feeling, a suffering. Or it was. But we’re not suffering any more. Because what’s happening now is incredible.”
The pair will go to Camp Nou on Wednesday night as their side play in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals first leg.
It is the eighth time Barcelona and Atletico have met since the start of last season and they will play the return leg next week in Madrid.
Somewhat fancifully, the Catalan press are claiming the Barca-Atletico clash is the new clasico.
It is not, but matches between the pair are usually engrossing and Barca were unable to overcome Atletico in any of their six encounters last term.
Barca were hugely impressive in their most recent meeting in the league this month, though, where they triumphed 3-1 and Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all scored.
Torres, from the Atletico stronghold of Fuenlabrada 15 kilometres south of Madrid, was introduced to booing for the last 22 minutes of that encounter at a stadium where his goal saw Chelsea into the final of the 2012 Uefa Champions League.
He barely had an influence on the match – no surprise to those who consider the 30 year old finished and a shadow of the player he was at Liverpool.
Atletico signed the 110-time Spanish international on an 18-month loan from AC Milan this month.
He was contracted to Chelsea until 2016, but he was not part of Jose Mourinho’s plans and moved to Milan in August last year, where he also failed to fire with one goal in 10 games.
If he was going to be given another chance anywhere it was the Calderon and 45,000 attended his unveiling this year.
Torres started against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey last 16 first leg three days later where he was caught offside more times than he had shots on goal before being replaced by Koke after an hour in the 2-0 victory.
Diego Simeone’s side returned to the Bernabeu for the second leg last week and Torres again started in a stadium where he had not scored in six attempts.
He changed that after 47 seconds with a goal and added a second at the start of the second half to upstage Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and send the European champions out of the cup.
It was also the first time that Torres had been on the winning side in a Madrid derby in nine attempts.
Champions Atletico are unrecognisable from the club Torres left.
He will do well to hold down a regular starting place in the team, but the player who cost a British record £50m in 2011 and arrived at the Calderon this month without a fee hopes he can reignite his career at his third club of the season.
He has played only 783 minutes of competitive football since August and has not played more than an hour in any of his four appearances for Atletico, but that is progress from sitting on the bench in Milan and the two goals in the Bernabeu have rekindled his love affair with the 50,000 Calderon faithful.
The Kid is a man now and he is showing that he is still effective on the pitch and that his return was more than a publicity stunt.
He is the man Atletico want to replace Diego Costa to win more trophies.
Having never come close to serious silverware with Atletico, he is motivated to do that, but first there is a tough game against Barcelona, who Simeone reckons are in form and are the “best Barca of recent times because they’ve had change in their pressing. They have improved a lot after losing the ball”.
“The key is knowing how and where to attack. If we can bring the game to the place we want it, we will have a chance,” the Atletico coach said.
Central to their attack should be the rejuvenated Torres.
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