Toronto FC announced that they will be signing defender Raoul Petretta on Tuesday, marking their second defensive signing of the MLS offseason. The 25-year old left back will be joining the team from Turkish club Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) through 2025 with an option for 2026. Petretta will be added to the TFC roster pending the receipt of the International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
After joining Kasimpasa in July of 2022, Petretta appeared in 12 matches across all competitions for the team. Prior to that he spent four seasons in the Swiss Super League with FC Basel, where he made 152 appearances, scoring 10 goals and making 12 assists in all competitions.
In his tenure at FC Basel he played in five UEFA Champions League, 10 UEFA Europa League and three UEFA Europa Conference League matches. He was part of 3 title winning teams in that time which include the Swiss Super League and two Swiss Cups.
Petretta is known for being a quality passer and disciplined defender, bolstering a mediocre backline from last season. After giving up a third-worst 66 goals in the MLS last season, TFC will be looking to Petretta to help address their defensive issues.
The Italian will be looking to fill the void left by fellow Italian Domenico Criscito, who left after the 2022 season to rejoin his former club Genoa. Left back Luca Petrasso also departed the team this winter in a trade with Orlando City SC.
Petretta joined the TFC training camp in San Diego on Tuesday, along with other newcomers defender Matt Hedges and forward Adama Diomande this season. Also added to the team this year is attacking midfielder Victor Vazquez, who returns to Toronto FC after leaving in January 2019. Petretta is their sixth offseason signing, as Coach Bradley seems to be looking to build on a team which is centered around Italian superstars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.
Player Profile
RAOUL PETRETTA
Position: Defender (Left back)
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 152 lbs.
Birthdate: March 24, 1997 (Age – 25)
Birthplace: Rheinfelden, Germany
Nationality: Italian
Past Clubs: Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü & FC Basel
Betting on Toronto FC in 2023
The 2023 season will kick off on Feb. 25 when visiting Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United set to take on the squad. If you’re thinking about betting on the game, then make sure you browse through our list of the best MLS betting sites to catch the best odds.
