In this moment of uncertain transfer activities, Viola Nation is pleased to announce that we’ve added a fair amount of talent late in this transfer window. Everybody, meet Nick, Trevor, Sam, and Ben, VN’s new feature writers. Nick, Trevor, Sam, and Ben, meet everybody.

Nicky Nutella

Hey Viola Nation! It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Nick, but I often go by Nicky Nutella. The origin of that nickname came from my time studying abroad in Firenze where me and my two buddies were taking a cooking class at the Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici. We needed to come up with nicknames and it was either that or Nutmeg Nick, so it’s safe to say things turned out okay.

My four months in Florence were life altering, but they aren’t what turned me into a Fiorentina fan, I was one LONG before that. My father has been a Fiorentina fan since the 1950s when he was growing up in a town called Teggiano in the Province of Salerno. Fiorentina were one of the best teams back then and were constantly on the radio so he fell in love with them. As long as I can remember we’ve always had Fiorentina memorabilia in the house even though my brother is a die-hard Inter fan like my late Uncle Ennio. Over the years we’ve had some incredible players, but three have really stood out to me. Gabriel Batistuta because how could that man not be one of your favorites after dominating Serie A defenses and making those Nintendo sponsored kits so famous. Then there was another striker…Numero Uno to some including German comedian Matze Knop who made a song about him. Last but not least, it has to be the late-captain Davide Astori. He was not only an immense presence on the pitch but also in the locker room and his presence is still felt to this day, may he rest eternally and in peace. Those players in conjunction with the amazing people of Firenze have really made following this team worth it (even though they break my heart on a weekly basis). I am looking forward to getting to know you guys and please interact with me in the comment section or on Twitter @NickJagger718.

A presto,

Nicky Nutella

Trevor Stynes

Ciao a tutti! It’s a real honour for me to have joined this team, a place for Fiorentina fans to talk about our team, but where we don’t just print every single twitter rumour.

I have been a Fiorentina fan since back in our Serie C2 Florentia Viola days. Living in Florence at the time, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the story of this great clubs fall from glory. I spent around 5 years living there, and a lot of that time was spent at the Franchi stadium, I was there for every home game. One of the biggest highlights during that time, the best night at the stadium, was definitely the play off second leg when we made it back to Serie A. Being in the Fiesole that night, and on the pitch afterwards to celebrate is a night I will never forget.

If I have to pick out my favourite players, the first one has got to be Batigol! Unfortunately I arrived in Italy too late to enjoy the most amazing striker we’ve had, but will never tire of watching his goals. The player I most enjoyed watching in my time going to matches was the one and only Adrian Mutu, say what you like about him, he always gave 100% in a Fiorentina jersey, such a classy player. From the current squad, obviously Ribery is a legend, and I love watching him in action, but also Castrovilli, he is going to be something special, and at the back I really hope we hold on to Milenkovic.

On a personal note, I am from Ireland, as mentioned I lived in Italy for a while, and it will always be a place I can call home, of course Florence is a beautiful city, but for me it’s about the people and especially the great friends I made in my time there. Currently I’m living in Poland, and getting to grips with the language here is a lot harder than it was in Italy!

This is my first time doing something like this so I’m very excited to write about my main passion in life, Fiorentina!

Sam Griswold

I’ve been lucky enough to have spent three years of my life living in Florence and in that time have come to love basically all things Florentine, including, of course, Fiorentina. My introduction to the team came when I moved to the city in 2001, which was obviously a disaster of a season, but the coming together of the city in the aftermath and subsequent creation of Florentia Viola fully cemented my loyalty and affection.

My fondest memories will always be attending matches with my Dad and friends, especially that next season in Serie C2, which offered the unique feeling of witnessing something special from its very beginning.

Angelo Di Livio is my favorite all-time Fiorentina player, simply for giving his all in every match and sticking with the club and eventually helping bring it all the way back to Serie A from C2. In the current team, I’ve been a big fan of Giacomo Bonaventura for a while, and think he will bring a lot to the side this season.

As an American, I’m especially interested to see the impact of the current ownership group on the club as well as the subsequent reaction from the fans and the city.

As a writer, I love to over-analyze things tactically and search for cultural connections that may very well not exist, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do this for Viola Nation.

Ben Lualdi

Hello Viola Nation! I’m one of the newer fans here, having started following the club casually around 2015, so my time as a supporter has been filled with many downs and few ups. However, the tide may be starting to change, and I will be here to write (or rant) about it. My love for Fiorentina stems from having family in and around Florence, where I have been lucky enough to visit several times. Currently I am busy studying in the Chicago area, with a return to Florence hopefully in the cards these next couple of years.

Because of the recent poor results, I feel this year has the potential to be a real inflection point for the club. Rocco’s investment both on and off the field has been impressive to view from afar. Watching old matches in quarantine made me nostalgic for Fiorentina’s days as a club playing where we belong, in European competition. As for favorite players, far and away I love the silkiness of Castrovilli, but Dragowski’s beard (and shot-stopping ability) make him a solid second.

As an American, being able to support a European club which I have a connection with is a real privilege, and to write about La Viola for an audience is an even greater one. I’m excited to get started- I’d love to dive into some deeper tactical pieces, but I’m also a sucker for transfer gossip and light-hearted topics (such as the disaster which is Castrovilli’s Fifa 21 rating).