Casadei reveals why he left Chelsea and why he chose Torino: ‘My first choice’ | OneFootball

Cesare Casadei says that he is ‘honoured’ and ‘proud’ to return to Italy and play for Torino after a long spell watching on from the stands at Chelsea, and has revealed that the Granata were ‘always’ his first choice in the January transfer window, despite links with a move to Lazio.

Casadei was officially announced as a new Torino player on the penultimate day of the January transfer window, joining for a fee of €15m plus a significant percentage of his future sell-on fee.

He had spent the last two-and-a-half years in England on Chelsea’s books, but struggled to break into the first team after loan spells in the Championship with Reading and Leicester City.

Though a regular in the Conference League under Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, Casadei was not able to earn any minutes in the Premeir League this season.

Casadei on return to Italy: ‘I’d been trying for a couple of seasons already’

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Casadei revealed that he has been pushing for a return to Italy for quite a while already.

Asked how excited he is to be a Torino player, Casadei replied: “Very much, I couldn’t wait. I had already been trying for a couple of seasons, but for one reason or another it was blocked.

“I did a couple of years in England, which did help me a lot. Now it’s the right time to get involved in Serie A, and I’m happy about that.

“From day one, they were the first club that showed a lot of trust in me, starting with President Cairo, who I want to thank because he made it possible for me to realise my dream of returning to Italy.”

epa10680563 Cesare Casadei of Italy celebrates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinal soccer match between Italy and South Korea, in La Plata, Argentina, 8 June 2023. EPA-EFE/DEMIAN ALDAY ESTEVEZ

Casadei had been expected to leave Chelsea from the beginning of the January transfer window, but it took the full month for his move to be formally completed.

“It’s great. As everyone knows by now, the negotiations had been going on for quite a while.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs since the start of the January window. I’ve started a good relationship with Toro over this month, as well as with the director Davide Vagnati, who already gave me a good feeling.

“On top of the trust I talked about earlier, President Cairo made a big economic commitment to have me here. I am really grateful to the club. I’m sure that Toro is the perfect choice for me.”

Why did Casadei decide to leave Chelsea?

Cesare Casadei of Chelsea passes the ball during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Chelsea FC and KAA Gent at Stamford Bridge on October 03, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

“I needed to be at a club where I feel important and where they make me feel important. I feel that I can contribute a lot to Toro. I’m coming from a term at Chelsea where I didn’t play so much, so I needed to regain confidence. Toro trusted me a lot, it was a big honour.

“Toro has always been my first choice, so I’m glad we were able to get it done.”

As well as his aspirations on the pitch, Casadei also has goals to achieve in his personal life as well.

“I’m a quiet guy, I live a simple life. I go home after training, football represents more than 80% of my life.”

“I suspended my studies after completing high school, but you never know in the future. I would like to enroll in university one day.”