BatiGol Weekly 52: New Year's Eve

It's okay, everyone. We know that it's not actually the beginning of a new year. But on the 52nd edition of our weekly feature here, it sort of feels that way. So, with Dick Clark unavailable, we'll try to count this one down on our own.

I want to start out by saying how grateful I am for the opportunity to write for this blog. When I signed on about this time last year (or maybe it was August; honestly can't remember), I was freaking terrified. Lorenzo (the boss at the time and the founder of this particular series) and Chloe were impossibly cool and knowledgeable and good at writing and there was no way I was going to be able to do that. Heck, it took me about two years of lurking on the old Offside site before I worked up the huevos to post anything; this was way more frightening. What I should have remembered was how everyone welcomed me aboard when I started commenting there. In a not-surprising parallel, the same thing happened: everyone said hey, made me feel like I was part of the group, and then kept on about the business of discussing Fiorentina.

Yall are the best fan community on the internet, as far as I'm concerned. You're all smart, funny, committed, and an absolute pleasure to write for and interact with. So thank you, everyone, for bearing with me over this past year, through good stretches and bad, articles that you enjoyed and thought were dumb, analyses that helped or accomplished nothing, jokes that worked and jokes that didn't, and all manner of general silliness that probably wouldn't have been put up with on very many sports websites.

So, as we wind down this first year of the BGW, thanks. That's all. Now let's all watch this big purple sphere (no, that's not a Corvino reference) descend in 10, 9, 8, 7...

via GIPHY

Latest news

Here is our welcome for new signing Kevin Diks. Hi Kevin!

The next target may well be Ondrej Duda. Here is a rundown on him.

And Fiorentina is back in action, albeit in a limited sense. The initial Moena squad has been assembled. Check out who's on it here.

Must read

Check out last Tuesday's roundup of transfer rumors here.

And here is the Friday edition.

And, since we are always totally serious, here is our reaction to the news that various teams are chasing Borja Valero.

Comment of the week

We don't like to double up here, but Mike-R's got some good news about his leg, and that is a good reason to celebrate.