History of Italian association football club Benevento Calcio
This page covers the history of Benevento Calcio from 1929 to the present day.
Origins.
Football in Benevento was first introduced on September 6, 1929, the date of the founding of the "Società Sportiva Littorio Benevento", which played on the Santa Maria degli Angeli (later called Meomartini) field, built by Don Francesco Minocchia with the help of Benevento's resident footballers and located in the Libertà district of the city. The club's colors were light blue. Littorio participated in the Third Regional Division tournament. In the first decade of its existence it won the Third, Second and First Category championships, then in the 1934-1935 season it participated for the first time in the national Serie C championship, having an excellent tournament thanks to the technical guidance of Armand Halmos. Three years later, in the 1938-1939 season, they won the "Targa Capocci" (a tournament in which 22 teams took part), beating Scafatese 5-1 in the final. In the period immediately after the war, the renamed "Associazione Calcio Benevento" played well in Serie C, where they first won promotion to Serie B in the 1945-1946 season, but had to leave due to financial problems. The "Giallorossi" continued to finish high in the league in the following seasons, but failed to get promoted.
From the 1950s to the 1970s.
In the 1950s, Oronzo Pugliese was a popular figure. He coached the team in 1952. A year later, however, the historic club was forced to close due to its debts, and the bankruptcy of the old team left a free field for the second local club, the amateurs of "Sanvito Benevento", who wore the red-and-black colors and seven years later entered Serie C as "Società Sportiva Benevento", adopting the red-and-yellow colors.
After playing in the third division in 1960-1961, finishing fourth, the "Giallorossi" returned to Serie D in 1961-1962, where they stayed for three years. In 1965, "Polisportiva Benevento" was formed from the merger of the local clubs "Sportiva Benevento" and "Fiamma Sannita", returning to Serie D in 1967.
After seven consecutive championships in Serie D, the club returned to Serie C in 1974 under the presidency of Bocchino, where the "Giallorossi" immediately finished fourth and went on to compete in thirteen consecutive Serie C championships.
1975-1976 season.
In the 1975-1976 season, Benevento finished in second place in what would remain the most controversial championship for more than three decades: with Pietro Santin as coach, the team made an excellent second half of the season, recording twelve positive results in a row, the result of eleven victories (nine in a row) and one draw, conquering the top of the standings on the 26th day in a direct home match against Lecce, thus overtaking them. The promotion to Serie B, however, was not achieved, as Pietro Santin's team managed three consecutive draws (first against Caserta and then two at home against Acireale and Messina), which allowed the "Salentini" to catch Benevento in the standings, and then two defeats on the road (against Bari and Cosenza), which meant the end of the dream. In the same season, Benevento participated in the fifth edition of the Anglo-Italian Cup, a competition between English and Italian clubs held in the spring of 1976: they were eliminated in the group stage. In the following 1976-1977 season, the team finished fourth in Serie C.
SSC Benevento and new stadium.
In the 1978-1979 season, with the restructuring of Serie C, the "Società Sportiva Calcio Benevento" was born. The following year, the Santa Colomba stadium was inaugurated.
1980s.
Under the chairmanship of the lawyer Ernesto Mazzoni, supported from time to time by local businessmen, SSC Benevento played nine consecutive championships in Serie C1. Of note were the fifth place finish under the technical direction of Gastone Bean (1981-82) and the sixth place finish under coach Francesco Liguori (1983-1984), which earned the "Stregoni" a participation in the Coppa Italia against teams from Serie A and Serie B. After a first relegation in 1986, followed by a miraculous repechage, Benevento was relegated to Serie C2 in 1987, despite having an excellent squad.
Two risky escapes from the fourth division in 1988 and 1989 (both with Maurizio Simonato as coach) were followed by relegation to the Interregional Championship for failure to pay the guarantee (which was not for the full 400 million required by the FIGC, but only for 320 million). Therefore, Benevento were forced to leave professional football for only 80 million, resulting in an anonymous championship in the Interregional, played with a team composed mostly of Samnite players.
1990s.
The 1990-91 Interregional season saw the birth of "Sporting FC Benevento", the name of the new club having been chosen by the fans in a telephone poll during a television broadcast at the time. The president was Mario Peca, who did not keep his promises, but had the merit of stirring up the passion of the Benevento supporters. There was another variation on the club's classic colors when red and silver jerseys were adopted, in homage to the coat of arms of the city of Benevento. The club finished first in Group I, eleven points ahead of the runners-up, but had a bitter epilogue in the play-off for promotion against Juve Stabia (winners of Group L). After the defeat, the club was taken over by a group of Neapolitan businessmen who, after half a year, in the face of total discontent and hostility from the fans, handed it over to the Cotroneo family, who brought back the traditional red and yellow colors.
The return to Serie C2.
After two transitional seasons that ended in eighth and sixth place, respectively, a top-class team was assembled for the 1993-1994 season that was largely similar to that of the 1990-1991 season, starting with Luigi Boccolini as coach. With a strong attacking duo of Nicola D'Ottavio and Silvio Paolucci, Benevento soon had an easy time against rivals Nocerina. The team won the tournament eight points ahead of second-placed Nocerina and third-placed Toma Maglie, and fourteen points ahead of fourth-placed Taranto, returning to Serie C2 after five seasons.
With the return to the professional league, the roster was strengthened with some additions for the 1994-1995 season. The team did not have a brilliant season, but finished third, tied with Savoia, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the club's history. However, Boccolini's team was eliminated by Savoia (2-0 away, 3-3 at home).
The following season, 1995-1996, was particularly troubled, culminating in salvation in the last match: in the playoff against Frosinone, the "Stregoni" won 1-0, avoiding the playoffs and shattering the promotion dreams of the "Ciociari", who were in first place. This was followed by two excellent championships for the club.
In 1996-1997, the "Stregoni", coached by Massimo Silva, had a rocket start only to cede the lead in the standings as the days went by to Battipagliese, who won the tournament. In second place, Benevento entered the playoffs as favorites. However, after eliminating Catanzaro in the semi-finals (0-0 away and 2-0 at home), they were defeated in the final in Avellino by Turris, coached by their former coach Esposito (0-2), which remains the "away game" that attracted the largest number of Samnite supporters, up to eight thousand. There was considerable controversy in the city, in particular due to an altercation between sporting director Nicola D'Ottavio and striker Sossio Aruta.
The following season, 1997-1998, the club continued to strengthen its squad. Once again with Silva and then with Pino Raffaele on the bench, in a very balanced championship, Benevento failed to win the league outright and had to try again for promotion through the playoffs. Like the year before, after eliminating Sora (with two 1-0 wins, both goals scored by Francesco Passiatore), the "Stregoni" succumbed in the final: on the neutral field of Lecce, they were defeated by Crotone 2-1, after finishing the first half ahead. It was the last game of the Cotroneo family, who left the club to Renato Pedicini.
The rise to Serie C1.
In the 1998-1999 season, after a shaky start, Francesco Dellisanti's team began to play spectacularly, allowing them to climb positions in the standings and finish in fourth place, in the playoff zone. After once again eliminating Catanzaro (2-1 win at home and 1-1 draw in Calabria), Benevento landed in the final for the third consecutive year. On June 13, 1999, at the Via del Mare stadium in Lecce, the team defeated Messina 2-1 in a match in which the "Stregoni" fell behind by a goal in the second half only to equalize immediately through Salvatore Bertuccelli. Six minutes into extra time, Rosario Compagno's goal secured the team's first ever victory in a professional league and a return to Serie C1 after 12 seasons.
2000s.
Having landed in Serie C1, Benevento would play six consecutive championships there, from the 1999-2000 season to the 2004-2005 season.
In the first two seasons of the decade, the "Giallorossi" finished in twelfth place, twice avoiding relegation on the final day thanks to two 2-1 home wins (against Arezzo in 1999-2000; against Fidelis Andria in 2000-2001).
In the 2001-2002 season, Benevento finished in 14th place and salvation came only after the play-out against Nocerina (1-0 win in Nocera and 1-0 defeat at home).
After an unremarkable mid-table finish the year before, the Samnites made a long comeback in the 2003-2004 season and reached the playoffs. After beating Crotone 1-0 at home in the semifinals, they lost 3-1 in the return leg.
Bankruptcy and return to Serie C2.
In the 2004-2005 season, the Samnites were fighting for a playoff spot until two days before the end of the season, finishing in eighth place. However, due to serious tax defaults, president Spatola's club was relegated to Serie C2, marking the end of the "Sporting Football Club" chapter.
In the summer of 2005, the joint stock company "Benevento Calcio" was founded, led by a Biella businessman, Older Tescari, who was not welcomed with sympathy due to a modest and inadequate transfer window.
Participating in the 2005-2006 Serie C2 tournament and complying with article 52 of NOIF, in March 2006, with the team in free fall in the standings and out of the playoff zone, Benevento was taken over by brothers Ciro and Oreste Vigorito. The Campanian club managed to finish fourth, but was eliminated in the playoff semi-finals by Sansovino.
For the 2006-2007 Serie C2 season, the team was entrusted to coach Danilo Pileggi, who, after a good start (two consecutive wins), ended up with five draws and two defeats, collecting only eleven points in the first nine days. On the tenth day, Giovanni Simonelli took over. The Samnites managed to catch up with Sorrento and came close to promotion, finishing just one point behind the leaders. In the playoffs, after overcoming Monopoli, Benevento failed to return to Serie C1 against Potenza (they lost 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at home).
The return to Serie C1.
In the 2007-2008 season, Simonelli's team had an easy time, winning the championship with four rounds to spare, finishing the season nine points clear of second place in the standings and returning to Serie C1. That season, Benevento also reached the final of the Coppa Italia Serie C for the first time in their history, but were decisively defeated by Bassano Virtus (5-0 away defeat and 1-1 draw at home).
Over the following seasons, the club went on an unprecedented spending spree, fielding a first-class team and openly challenging for promotion to Serie B. The Vigorito brothers soon proved to be adept managers, investing heavily not only in the first team, but also in youth development and facilities.
In the 2008-2009 season, the "Stregoni" fought with Gallipoli until the last day, but the Salento team won by only one point. In the playoffs, the elimination of Foggia in the semi-finals (0-0 and 2-2) seemed to open the doors of promotion for the Samnites, especially due to the 1-1 draw in the first leg of the final against Crotone and the advantage of the Campanians due to the better positioning in the regular season. In the return leg, however, Benevento lost 1-0 at home to the Calabrians.
The 2009-2010 season soon saw Novara overtaking their rivals and Benevento playing with fluctuating performances, also as a result of various technical changes: coach Leonardo Acori was fired and replaced by Andrea Camplone from the seventeenth day, only to be rehired in the thirty-first round, four days before the end of the championship. In the last month,