Ex-Chelsea star fires parting shot: 'Need to regain confidence and trust'

Tom Weber

Updated: 5 Feb 2025 09:52 CST
4 min read

Cesare Casadei has fired a parting shot at Chelsea after sealing a move to Torino.

The young midfielder was frequently in the news during the January transfer window due to the very public interest in his services. Casadei was desperate to leave Chelsea and sealed a late-window move back to Serie A, joining Torino for €15 million.

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The Italian had already wanted out in the summer but Enzo Maresca, who coached him during a half-season loan at Leicester, convinced him to stay and fight for his place.

However, the boss didn't hold up his end of the bargain and Casadei was given just a handful of appearances, playing primarily in the Conference League. With January approaching, it was clear that there was no way the 22-year-old would be a Chelsea player come February.

A host of Serie A sides battled for his signature, with Lazio and Torino ultimately crystallising as his most likely destinations. The latter, somewhat surprisingly, ended up beating the Romans to his signature.

Casadei's parting shot

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Casadei has now fired a parting shot at Chelsea, claiming that he had been keen on returning to Italy for years but that he was 'hindered.'

“I couldn’t wait [to return]. I had been trying for a couple of seasons but, for one reason or another, I was hindered. I had another couple of years in England which, however, were very useful. Now is the right time to put myself to the test in Serie A. And I’m happy about it.

Asked why he chose Torino, he said: “Because, since day one, it was the first club that showed so much trust in me. Starting with the president Urbano Cairo, who I want to thank because he allowed me to fulfil my desire to return to Italy.

"As everyone knows by now, the negotiations went on for quite a while. Since the beginning of the January transfer window, there were many ups and downs. In this month, a good relationship was born with Toro, as with the director Davide Vagnati with whom there was an immediate good feeling.

"In addition to the trust I spoke about before, president Cairo made a great financial effort to be able to have me: I am truly grateful to the club. I am sure: Toro is the perfect choice for me".

“It’s what I needed: to be in a club where they make me feel important and where I feel important. I feel that I can make a big contribution to Toro.

“I’m coming from a semester at Chelsea where I didn’t play much, so I needed to regain confidence and trust. Toro courted me a lot, it was a great honour. Director Vagnati knows it, I never had any doubts.”