We're back, Viola fans, and we're ready to talk about all the Fiorentina stuff that we didn't think was going to be a downer before we started recording this but realized that, wow, we sound pretty grim here. Yep, that means we're chatting about that Juventus game and Dušan Vlahović's return to Florence, but we're also commemorating Davide Astori (sempre con noi) on the fourth anniversary of his passing, looking at Fiorentina's chances the rest of the way, and trying to figure out what's going on with this roster right now.

Along the way, we learned that Mike isn't made at his former large son (although he is very disappointed), that Tito will fight anyone who's mean to Lorenzo Venuti, and which of your favorite Fiorentina podcast idiots is the big spoon. After that, we had a chat with former Viola Nation boss and current rock star (who just dropped an album that you should listen to and buy!) Lorenzo Landini, who's smart and funny and talented and probably too good to be hanging out with us. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it. Feel free to reach out to us on the website, on Twitter, or through email (sbn [dot] viola [dot] nation [at] gmail [dot] com), and, as always, Forza Viola!

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It's been a minute since we recorded one of these, so let's dive into it. Your favorite Fiorentina podcast idiots have their plates full. The conversation begins with a discussion of the winter transfer window and how the Viola did in it, and yes, we did mention Dušan Vlahović once or twice. That took us to the Coppa Italia, where we remained pretty giddy after a famous victory, and even managed to engage in some rare optimism while looking at the prospects for the rest of the season.

Along the way, we learned what Mike's secret word was (prizes to anyone who can guess it (not really)), that Tito isn't very confident in his Albanian pronunciation, and that botflies are a good reason to panic. We hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we enjoyed making it, and if you want to get in touch with us, you can find us on the website or on Twitter. Forza Viola!

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Well, will you look at that? You blink and all of a sudden half of January's just gone. Normally, we'd be worried that Fiorentina wasn't going to buy anyone to reinforce a talented but flawed squad, but the arrivals of Jonathan Ikone and Krzysztof Piątek had us feeling pretty good about the men's team, while the arrivals of Vero Boquete and (still can't believe this is real) Valentina Giacinti have the women's team looking like maybe the best attack in league history, even if missing out on the chance to bring back Alia Guagni stings.

The only fly in the ointment (at least at time of recording, which was the day before a certain abomination against Torino) was the byzantine complexity of postponements, double postponements, and whatever the league office is up to in the shadows. We're pretty sure it's nothing good, but that's just a hunch.

Along the way, we learned that Mike's had a pretty scary couple of weeks, that Tito still can't figure out how to turn Serie A into an adjective--Serie A-ian? Serie A-esque?--and that we've finally found the best spot for a certain Russian striker, and it's behind the woodshed. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making this one. Feel free to get in touch with us via the website, on Twitter, or even by email (sbn [dot] viola [dot] nation [at] gmail [dot] com), and feel free to leave us a rating on whichever platform you use to listen. Forza Viola!

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Ho ho holy smokes, we're just about at the end of 2021. As a belated holiday present, how about a podcast retrospective over the past year, and especially over the team since one Vincenzo "Cousin Vinnie" Italiano took the reins? We'll look at the best and worst moments--and yes, a certain game against some Notts County cosplayers features prominently--but, because there's nothing else you can talk about this time of year, we also dive into the mercato. That means predictions galore, which are always fun for us to make and for you to roast us for in another month.

The stars of the show, though, are ultra-talented VN staff writers Nick di Gruccio and Ben Lualdi, who braved the weather, the time zones, and a faulty internet switch (no, really) to share their thoughts on the season that was and that still is. Along the way, we learn that Mike is nosing in on Tito's regular bit and that Tito may never recover. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making this one. Feel free to get in touch with us via the website, on Twitter, or even by email (sbn [dot] viola [dot] nation [at] gmail [dot] com), and feel free to leave us a rating on whichever platform you use to listen. Forza Viola!

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You might not know this about your VN staff, but we’re usually a little behind the times. It’s why McMike’s got an endless supply of 1990s movie references and why all Tito's music is from 2006 or earlier. It’s also why we’re only just getting this post-Cagliari episode of the podcast out right now (okay, that’s actually entirely on Tito, so direct any irritation his way and not towards the Mikes, please).

Anyhow, we had a rollicking good time on this one. We opened up with a chat about the Cagliari game, trying to figure out what went right (hint: it’s the Saponaraissance) and how Fiorentina can keep it going. We then pivoted to a conversation about Dušan Vlahović’s future—hopefully not with Juventus—and how Rocco Commisso’s handled it before wrapping up with a back-and-forth about what (if anything) the brass has learned from this whole fiasco.

Along the way, we learned that there may be a new addition to Mike’s wine Mount Rushmore, that Tito really really can’t speak Swedish, and that it’s great when the Viola have already messed everything up, because that means there’s nothing left to mess up. We’d also like to highlight McMike’s anniversary (aaaawwwwww) and thank Judith for lending him to us. We’d also like to point everyone in Producer Mike’s direction; he’s had a hell of a couple of weeks and deserves everyone’s best thoughts.

As always, we had a blast making this and hope you enjoy listening to it. Special thanks to Windchime Weather for the music. If you want to get in touch with us, you can hit us up on the website, on Twitter, or via email (sbn [dot] viola [dot] nation [at] gmail [dot] com. Forza Viola!

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A back-and-forth game that results in yet another encouraging loss against a top team. A wantaway superstar. Despicable stupidity from the fans. It's pretty much just another day in the life of a Fiorentina fan, and your favorite podcast idiots are here to break it all down for you. We start with a discussion of the loss against Napoli and then move onto a look at where the Viola are at this point in the season (spoiler: it's better than last year) before moving on to a conversation about what's happening with Dušan Vlahović and his contract. Then we wrapped up with the most disappointing topic imaginable: the racism that Fiorentina fans displayed against Partenopei star Kalidou Koulibaly and what has to come next.

Along the way, we learned about Mike's chocolate milk tolerance, Tito's hedgehog memories, and how to ensure Fiorentina stop playing with ten men. We hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we enjoyed making it. Feel free to hit us up with questions or comments on Twitter, email, or on the website, and feel free to leave us a rating on whatever podcasting service you're using. Thanks and Forza Viola!

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After knocking off Genoa, Fiorentina made it three wins in a row, which means we got to see our first Viola win streak in almost exactly two years. That's exactly the kind of minor trivia to which your intrepid hosts will never overreact, which is why we kept our heads and absolutely, positively did NOT succumb to any sort of giddiness. And yeah, we recorded this before the Inter Milan game, so just imagine how that ended for us. (Not well.)

Along the way, we learned that Mike’s happiness is inversely proportional to Fiorentina’s, Tito will geek out about world class number 10s turned librarians, and why being on a boat with Vincenzo Italiano might be a bad idea. We hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we enjoyed making it. We'd love to hear from you on the website or Twitter, and feel free to leave a rating on whichever service you found us on.

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Hello there. You look ravishing. Can I ask you a question? Did you know that FIORENTINA IS BACK, BAYBEE?

Yep, we're talking about Viola games again, and it feels so good. Because this is Fiorentina, of course, it can't be all good, and that game, of course, is a (very referee-influenced) opening day defeat at Roma. Still, your humble narrators manage to drag some positives out of the affair before turning to the ongoing mercato and venturing some typically well-considered opinions that aren't the result of horrified emotional flailing. Don't worry, though, because our next step was a chat with the brilliant Simone Rosadi (Instagram and Facebook) of the Viola Club Gli Ingestibili Prato, who's been a friend of the site for quite some time.

Along the way, we learned that Mike's high school fashion is cycling back around, that Tito's got some thoughts on jiggery-pokery, and that your favorite podcast idiots are perfectly happy to spend Rocco's money. We had a blast recording this episode and we hope that you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it. And, if it's up to snuff, go ahead and throw us a rating on whatever platform you're listening on.

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Fiorentina have finished the Moena portion of their preseason, so now it's time for your resident podcast idiots to dive into what it all meant (and, more importantly, what it didn't mean (which is everything (or nothing (or just too many parentheses)))). From the tactical approach to the mentality to the roster, we touch on just about everything and even make some really, really hopeful predictions that will all absolutely come to pass and make us all very happy, thanks.

From there, it's time to talk about the transfer market because there's no way not to at this time of year, even though we pretty quickly realized that there isn't much going on there besides the purgatory of contract renewals. That's we we moved onto the mailbag and answered listener/reader questions, which is always a blast. Along the way, we learned about Mike's new prescription muscle relaxer cocktail, Tito's heretofore unsuspected ability to make 90s pop cultural references, and what that Fiorentina lion mascot is up to.

As always, this was a blast to make and we hope you enjoy it. Big thanks, as ever, to Producer Mike and Windchime Weather. If you've got any comments/concerns/questions for us, hit us up on Twitter or on the website.

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Summer is generally the most optimistic time of year for Fiorentina fans, so we decided to record a happy podcast. And naturally, Giancarlo Antognoni's departure from the club means that we get to start with a lot of sadness. As we lead into a new-look Fiorentina Femminile's prospects for upcoming season, we stayed kind of sad. It wasn't until we started getting into what's going on at Moena that we began to perk up a little bit; by the time we were chatting about transfers, we were nearly buoyant. That definitely got us into the right headspace to talk with Europa Viola founder and friend of the site Massimo Lelli, who took time out of his vacation for some Viola conversation (there were some connectivity issues, so apologies for anything getting garbled).

Along the way, we learned why McMike is on Producer Mike's death list, that Tito can't keep himself from descending into giggles when reading Patrizia Panico's playing stats, and that "talking about talking about" contract renewals is about as meta and Fiorentina as you can get. As always, it was a blast making this episode and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. Feel free to get in touch with us at Viola Nation, on social media, or at sbn dot viola dot nation at gmail dot com. Forza Viola!

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