BatiGol Weekly 106: It’s time to party

You know, most of the time I’m a big believer in moderation with regards to fan expectations. I preach the importance of not getting too amped up about a single win or too down in the dumps about a single loss. For crying out loud, I quoted Ode 2.10 in one of these awhile back. For those of you who’ve forgotten your Horace (which I trust is none of you), it’s about the importance of maintaining equanimity in the face of everything life throws at you.

But this is a special occasion, yall. Fiorentina have won 6 straight matches for the first time in 58 years, and they beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico for just the second time since 1972 to keep that streak going. Next year’s Europa League, with its attendant cash and prestige, suddenly looks like it could see a triumphant purple return. The defense has been tremendous, and the attack has been picking up behind Riccardo Saponara and Giovanni Simeone.

So instead, I’m going to advocate for something that maybe, like, 2 other BGWs have talked about. I’m going to advocate for getting really goddamn excited right now, because this is a team that’s worth being excited about. Federico Chiesa is on the brink of being an international superstar! Cholito is banging them in like a certain Argentine in Florence used to (and we don’t mean Nacho Castillo)! The defense has a passel of talented young players to build around for at least 5 years! With another talented and established attacker or two, this team looks like it’s going to be ready for a run at Champions League qualification within three years.

Yeah, I know that Fiorentina will pull this football out from in front of me like Lucy and Charlie Brown and that I’ll end up flat on my back, staring at the sky and wondering why I’m such a sucker. Maybe SPAL beats the heck out of our Viola in the Franchi on Sunday. Maybe the DVs abscond to Mauritius and leave the team bankrupt and busted down to the Eccellenza. I know that it’s going to end up going wrong, and we’ll all feel vaguely disappointed again, and that the cycle will repeat itself forever.

But the hell with that. This year, the team deserves to celebrate for what it’s been through, and so do we. You can’t be said and gritty all the time (unless you’re a DC superhero movie), and this is the best dang time to cut loose and go wild. So take a deep breath, pause for a moment, and give it a full-on, “Wwwwwwooooooooooo!!!!!” You’ll feel better.

Latest news

Fiorentina returned to Udine for an emotional match against Udinese. Here is our full coverage.

Oh, and maybe you heard that Fiorentina absolutely dominated (ahem) AS Roma at the Olimpico. Read all about the match and its historical impact here.

Must read

34% of respondents think that Abdou Diakhate is the best prospect in the Viola prospect in the system. Here is where you can find the full results.

Gil Dias is good. Gil Dias is also bad. We have no clue what to do with him.

Marco Sportiello, on the other hand, is not good. Rather he’s been the best goalie in Serie A over the past 6 matches.

Comment of the week

Okay, so wolfpackallday posted this before that 0-2, but the point still stands because it is correct. Wins are good. Consistency and performance are better.

That’s it for this week, folks. Hydrate properly before you party.