Avellino – An event as singular as it is disturbing regularly recurs in the history of Avellino Calcio: every time the Irpinia team reaches the finish line of a promotion, a mourning strikes the papal throne.
A coincidence that, having begun way back in 1958, has been repeated with an almost supernatural precision, as highlighted by an analysis of the Morning.
The history of this bizarre “curse” begins in 1958. While Avellino was preparing to gain promotion to Serie C, on 9 October Pope Pius XII passed away. A similar script was repeated in 1963: the Irpinia team, after a brief stint in Serie B, returns to Serie C in the very year of the death of Pope John XXIII.
1963 also marks the ascension of Paul VI to the pontificate. Fifteen years later, in 1978, his death coincides with a historic event for Avellino football: the first, unforgettable promotion to Serie A. A disastrous year for the Church, also marked by the premature death of John Paul I, Albino Luciani, after only 33 days of pontificate.
With the beginning of the long pontificate of John Paul II in 1978, the singular “curse” seemed to have abated. However, in 2005, the death of the Polish Pope is once again intertwined with the fate of Avellino. On June 19 of that year, the 2-1 victory against Napoli in the playoff final opens the doors of Serie B to the Irpinia team, with a goal by Raffaele Biancolino, the current coach of the green and whites.
In 2013, although there was no death, an unprecedented event in Vatican history was recorded: the resignation of Benedict XVI. And once again, Avellino, fresh from a relegation to Lega Pro, achieved promotion to Serie B.
The “curse” has tragically renewed itself in this 2025. On April 21, the news of Pope Francis' passing came just two days after Avellino mathematically secured promotion to Serie B on April 19.
This incredible sequence of events, which inextricably links the joys of Avellino's footballing career to the mourning of the Vatican, continues to arouse amazement and questions among fans and others, fueling a narrative as fascinating as it is inexplicable.
Article published on 21 April 2025 - 18:44
It's really strange how Avellino's promotions always coincide with the deaths of the Popes. I don't know whether to believe in this 'curse', but it's a fact that makes you think and leaves you wondering what it could mean.