For the Fiorentina columnist, Dusan Vlahovic becomes “Susan”
Radio host, editor, soccer commentator. That’s how Alessandro Corvi introduces himself—a Fiorentina fan with a Facebook profile that has over 16,000 followers. “And well, it’s already funny just like that. Dear Susan Vlahovic (Susan deliberately spelled that way), you seem to me like a character in search of an author. And off we go laughing. The man who wanted to take the world by storm and win it all. ‘Bona Susan,’ he wrote, changing the Serbian player’s name from masculine to feminine and adding his own trademark (a logo featuring Corvi’s face, ed.) to a photo taken in Istanbul by a photographer from an international agency, which shows the former Fiorentina player wearing his new jersey. Not everyone appreciated it: “The sexist insinuations with the first name deliberately mangled and feminized take us back to the Middle Ages. How sad,” wrote one follower.
Corvi’s outburst comes following the official announcement of Dusan Vlahovic’s transfer to Besiktas. The Serbian forward landed in Istanbul to undergo medical exams and sign his new contract with the Turkish club, where he was greeted at Atatürk Airport by President Serdal Adalı, Vice President Murat Kılıç, and numerous fans who gave him a warm welcome. Vlahovic signed a lucrative three-year deal worth 10 million euros net per season.
The Serbian center forward, who had left Juventus in July upon the expiration of his contract, spent several weeks as a free agent before finding a new home. One of the key factors in his decision was the presence on the bench of Vincenzo Italiano, the coach with whom Vlahovic had already worked at Fiorentina during the first half of the 2021–2022 season: Under his guidance, the striker truly broke out, scoring 17 goals in just 21 games, before his €90 million transfer to Juventus in January 2022.
There was also no shortage of controversy surrounding the remarks made by Vlahovic himself upon his arrival in Turkey. The Serbian recalled how black and white had been with him since the very beginning of his career, emphasizing that the story that began at Partizan and continued at Juventus would now continue with Beşiktaş: words that sounded like a slap in the face to Juventus fans, already irritated by the striker’s departure, and which sparked furious reactions on social media.
The lengthy negotiations that brought Vlahovic to Istanbul were not without obstacles. According to reports in *La Stampa*, the hesitation shown by several European clubs stemmed from what were considered exorbitant demands by the player’s entourage: his agents reportedly asked for up to 15 million euros in commissions alone from interested European clubs, a figure that had deterred many suitors. Barcelona, which was looking for a striker, had ultimately ruled him out, while Atlético Madrid had slowed down its negotiations. In the end, the determination of Besiktas president Adalı—who had publicly stated, “We are working and talking with Vlahovic”—and the mediation of agent Federico Pastorello proved decisive in closing the deal.
