Benevento Calcio

Lore & Background

Benevento Calcio was originally founded as Associazione Calcio Benevento in 1929, playing at the Meomartini stadium built by Ciccio Minocchia. The club reached the third-tier Prima Divisione in the 1934–35 season, finishing above Reggina. After the original club folded in 2005, Benevento Calcio S.p.A. was founded, retaining the same stadium and kit colors. The team won promotion to Serie C2 in 2007–08 and later reached Lega Pro Prima Divisione, losing the promotion playoff final to Crotone in 2009.

Under manager Gaetano Auteri in the 2015–16 season, Benevento won its league and reached Serie B for the first time. Remarkably, they earned promotion to Serie A the following season by defeating Carpi in the playoffs. Their debut Serie A campaign in 2017–18 set a record for the worst start in Europe's top five leagues, losing the first 14 matches, but ended with a dramatic 2–2 draw against A.C. Milan via a 95th-minute equalizer from goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli. Despite a late-season uptick, they finished last and were relegated.

Benevento returned to Serie A for the 2020–21 season after winning Serie B under Filippo Inzaghi. They were more competitive, sitting 10th at the midway point, but a severe second-half slump saw them win only one of their final 22 matches—a 1–0 victory at Juventus—and they were relegated again. The following season they reached the Serie B promotion playoffs but lost in the semifinals to Pisa. In 2022–23, the team finished last in Serie B and was relegated to Serie C.

Reader's Guide

Benevento Calcio's significance lies in its dramatic trajectory from a small Campanian club to a two-time Serie A participant, despite a history of financial and competitive instability. The club's 2017 promotion to Serie A in its first season in Serie B is a rare achievement, highlighting the impact of manager Gaetano Auteri. Their 2017–18 Serie A campaign, while ending in relegation, is notable for setting a record for the worst start in Europe's top five leagues (14 consecutive losses) and for the iconic equalizer by goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli against A.C. Milan. The club's resilience is further shown by their immediate return to Serie A in 2020 under Filippo Inzaghi, though they again struggled to maintain top-flight status. Benevento's identity is deeply tied to local folklore, with the nickname 'Stregoni' (sorcerers) and a badge featuring a witch, referencing 13th-century legends. Their stadium, Stadio Ciro Vigorito, named after the brother of a former club president, opened in 1979 and holds 25,000. The club's legacy includes winning Serie B in 2019–20 and Serie C titles in 2015–16 and 2025–26, as well as a Serie C2 title in 2007–08. Their story exemplifies the volatility of Italian football, where clubs can rise and fall rapidly, and their ability to bounce back from relegation to Serie C in 2023 to earn promotion back to Serie B for 2026–27 underscores their persistence.

Did You Know?

• Benevento set a record for the worst start to a season in any of Europe's top five leagues by losing their first 14 Serie A matches in 2017–18.
• The club's nickname 'Stregoni' (sorcerers) and badge featuring a witch refer to 13th-century legends of the witches of Benevento.
• Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli scored a 95th-minute equalizing header to end Benevento's 14-match losing streak, earning a 2–2 draw against A.C. Milan in December 2017.
• Benevento won promotion to Serie A in 2017 in their first season in Serie B, after defeating Carpi in the playoffs.