BatiGol Weekly 239: Re-Ignition

With Vincenzo Montella and Daniele Pradè back in the fold and no moves yet in the first week of the transfer market (with the exception of a couple minor exits), fans are starting to get antsy. It’s not hard to see why: this sort of lackadaisical approach to improving a team that desperately needs improvement feels a bit like late-stage Della Valle stuff, and late-stage Della Valle stuff is a good cause for alarm.

However, the Viola brain trust has said that they don’t expect to make a whole lot of moves before 10 August. While that’s frustrating for the fans (and the people who write about the team, let me tell you what), it makes sense. It’s better to keep the financial cards close to the vest to start with, let Pradè and company work through their plans, and bring in guys who are going to help build a good, fun, and sustainable team.

Of course, we’ve heard this before—hi, Corvino 2.0 and Stefano Pioli—but, since that’s not what we’re talking about right now, let’s just assume that this sequel to the first Pradè-Montella partnership is going to be good. After all, sequels can be pretty great. In fact, we here at VN have created a comprehensive list of sequels that matter.

• The Godfather, Part 2
• Toy Story 2 (and 3, and probably 4, although we haven’t seen that one yet)
• The Empire Strikes Back
• John Wick 2 (and 3)
• The Rescuers Down Under
• The Two Towers
• Paddington 2
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Mad Max (and Mad Max: Fury Road, but not Thunderdome)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
• Aliens
• Spiderman 2 (the one with Toby Maguire and Alfred Molina, who is always brilliant)
• Dawn of the Dead
• The Dark Knight
• Batman Returns (only for Danny DeVito’s Penguin)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• The Raid 2
• Blade 2
• The Wrath of Khan
• The Bourne Supremacy (and the Bourne Ultimatum)
• For a Few Dollars More (and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)

These are the good sequels. The list is complete and definitive. Goodbye.

Latest news

Jordan Veretout’s representatives met with AC Milan personnel early last week. Get the full story here.

While we haven’t heard any followups to this rumor, for a hot minute it sounded like Fiorentina was interested in Tin Jedvaj.

The defender who sounds more likely to arrive right now is Sassuolo’s Pol Lirola, for whom Fiorentina already made an offer.

Le Coq Sportif managed to make one of France’s most iconic clubs look like it’s from San Giovanni in a bit of a kitmaker’s nightmare.

Here is the list of players who are in Moena for the opening of preseason training. You may notice a few absences.

Rafik Zekhnini helped Twente regain a spot in the Dutch top flight last year and will reprise his role as starting winger for the Tukkers this year.

Fiorentina are hot on the trail of last year’s backup goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano. In a rather surprising new development, he’s been spotted training at Moena today, so expect a deal announced shortly.

Rumors have recently surfaced linking the Viola to either Javier Hernandez (Chicharito if you prefer) or Darío Benedetto (el Pipa if you prefer), although neither really seems that close right now.

Vincent Laurini has officially joined Parma. Thanks for the hard work, Vincent.

Must read

Given that half of the players registered in Serie A have been offered as makeweights in a Veretout deal, we asked which of them was your favorite, and you answered.

Comment of the week

Fantastic back-and-forth from m.atthew and Nolan KB.

That’s it for this week, folks. Take the stairs, not the elevator.