Football Italia
·12 de fevereiro de 2025
Casadei: Torino wanted me before Chelsea, ‘moment of pride’ in Liverpool
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·12 de fevereiro de 2025
Cesare Casadei admits Torino wanted to sign him in 2022 before joining Chelsea from Inter and was proud to make his debut at Anfield even if the Blues lost ‘and not by a small margin.’
The Italian talent returned to Serie A in the January transfer window, completing a permanent move from Chelsea.
“I’m very happy to have arrived, to be here, and I can’t wait to get started,” Casadei told Toro TV via Toro.it.
“This isn’t the first year I’ve tried to come back to Italy. Torino have always shown interest, so I’ve always pushed to come here. When I found out there was a possibility this summer, I didn’t hesitate, so I’m very happy.
“The first rumours were already a couple of years ago, even before I went to Chelsea, there was already interest from Torino,” Casadei continued.
Cesare Casadei of Chelsea in action during the UEFA Conference League match between Chelsea FC and FC Noah at Stamford Bridge on November 7, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
“Then things turned out differently, but thanks to the president, I was able to come here. I’m really very happy.
“It was the right time to return to Italy. I had been trying to come back for a while, but things didn’t go as I wanted, in a way. I really wanted to return to Italy, and now I’m finally here.”
Casadei joined Chelsea in 2022 but did not make any first-team appearances during the 2022–23 campaign. The following season, he played 11 Premier League matches without scoring. He also played five UEFA Conference League games, totalling 17 appearances for Chelsea.
He debuted with the Blues in January 2024 in an away 4-1 loss against Liverpool.
“We lost, and not by a small margin. But still, it was a moment of pride because making a debut at Anfield doesn’t happen every day, so there was definitely a lot of emotion,” said the U21 Italy international.
“The match didn’t go as well as we hoped, but it’s undoubtedly a positive memory when you look back on that moment.”
Casadei has also played on loan at Reading and Leicester City, but which atmosphere does he prefer: Italy or England?
“In England it is different from here in Italy,” he admitted.
“There aren’t fans that sing for all 90 minutes, but they are passionate in their own way. These are stadiums where you feel the crowd’s warmth because the stands are so close to the pitch, and there’s always a great atmosphere. As an Italian, I grew up watching Serie A, so I’m really attached to the curva and the ultras singing for 90 minutes, so I prefer Italy.”
Casadei played under Enzo Maresca at Leicester City and Chelsea, covering different roles with the Italian tactician in charge.
“Over the years, I’ve played everywhere. I started as a mezzala (box-to-box midfielder) in a three-man midfield, but I’ve also played in a two-man midfield,” he said.
“Recently, at Chelsea, I even played as a defensive midfielder, and I’ve also played as an attacking midfielder. I like doing both phases, attacking and defending. It depends on the system the coach wants to play with, and I always try to adapt to the manager’s instructions.”
Casadei made his Torino debut on Saturday, coming off the bench in a 1-1 home draw against Genoa.
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