Article by Elliott Martin
In 2005 the club from Campania folded and rebranded. The newly named Benevento Calcio S.p.A rose rapidly through the leagues after a period of acclimatization. In 2016 the Stregoni, the witches, entered Serie B for the first time. A year later they were in the first division, promoted via the playoffs. A thirteen year journey for a first Serie A point is still ongoing despite having played twelve games this season. The witches have been as unlucky as anyone in the Italian domestic leagues in a season where calls to make Serie A an 18-team league are louder than ever.
Some are saying that this Benevento squad is the weakest Serie A has seen in years and they look the most likely side to be relegated. Bringing in Marco D’Alessandro and Danilo Cataldi from Atalanta and Lazio respectively were good moves but the club made over 17 signings which are hard to bed in. The Captain and top scorer of their historic Serie B season Fabio Ceravolo left for Parma whilst new captain Fabio Lucioni had not played in Serie A before this season. Ledian Memushaj was relegated last season with Pescara whilst Pietro Iemello was brought in as a forward replacement and has been effective up to now. 23-year-old Amato Ciciretti has been the shining light, doing his best to drive Benevento forward both literally and metaphorically.
The squad, led by Roberto De Zerbi started the domestic season with a Coppa Italia 4-0 loss at home to Serie B side Perugia with Danilo Cataldi seeing red. The league season started slightly better, taking the lead away at Sampdoria before a Fabio Quagliarella brace put them to the sword. The next two games were one nil losses, first at home to Bologna with a 98th minute equaliser disallowed for offside and then against Torino where Iago Falque scored a 93rd minute winner after Salvatore Sirigu picked up the Man of the Match award. A visit to Naples was next with Benevento four down in half an hour, a Mertens hat-trick sealed by two second half penalties whilst a four nil defeat at home to Roma wasn’t helped by an own goal in each half from either centre-back. Away to Crotone, Benevento hit the post with an 86th minute penalty but lost two nil. Inter at home was a narrow 2-1 defeat despite hitting the woodwork twice and having a goal disallowed. Another narrow defeat followed with Hellas Verona winning one nil after a first half Benevento red card. A 3-0 loss at home to Fiorentina after hitting the post and giving away a penalty was hard to take but a 2-1 away loss to Cagliari still hasn’t sunk in. A 94th minute equalizing penalty from Iemello was cancelled out by a Leonardo Pavoletti header just sixty seconds later. A 5-1 home defeat to Lazio was wrapped up quickly, the Biancocelesti three goals up in 24 minutes. The twelth defeat came away at Champions Juventus, Benevento a goal up at half-time despite not touching the ball in the opposition penalty area once. The comeback was inevitable.
Benevento owner Oreste Vigorito, the head of Italy’s wind energy association, invested €19m in new players over the summer, out-spending Scudetto challengers Napoli amongst others. Their performances have been more admirable than their points tally may suggest but the impossible Serie A season is becoming an even more laborious task.
