Italian football team promoted with unbelievable coincidence every time the Pope changes

A small Italian football team seems to be blessed with promotions that coincide incredibly with each change of Pope.

Avellino won promotion to Serie B just 2 days before Pope Francis passed away - Photo: SERIE B

Avellino, full name Unione Sportiva Avellino 1912, is a club located in Naples, southern Italy. The history of this team is not too remarkable with limited financial resources and no noble titles.

This season, Avellino plays in Serie C, Italy's third tier. On April 19, they won 2-1 against Sorrento and officially promoted to Serie B.

Just two days later, Pope Francis passed away. It seems that these two events are unrelated, but in fact there are surprising coincidences because this is not the first time Avellino has risen in the same year as the Pope's death.

This tradition began in 1958, when Pope Pius XII died. At that time, Avellino was promoted from Serie D to Serie C. That year, the team finished third but was promoted to a higher division thanks to geographical priority.

After the death of Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII succeeded him and died in 1963. Once again, Avellino surprisingly promoted to Serie C despite being relegated just a year before.

Pope Francis is an avid football fan and has met many famous players such as Ronaldinho - Photo: AFP

By 1978, the Catholic Church was undergoing another change when two Popes died in the same year, Paul VI and John Paul I. But in the same year, something strange happened again when Avellino jumped up to Serie A, the highest league in Italy.

In history, this team has only participated in this tournament 10 times and strangely, one of their promotions to the highest level came in the year when 2 Popes passed away.

Pope John Paul I was succeeded by Pope John Paul II, who reigned for more than 26 years and was one of the longest-serving Popes. During that time, Avellino rose and fell in the lower leagues.

But then when Pope John Paul II died in 2005, Avellino was promoted from Serie C to Serie B.

The promotion of this team does not only come when a Pope dies. Just a change in this position, the club suddenly "benefits". Because in 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI abdicated, Avellino won the right to be promoted to Serie B.

And the recent story of them being promoted to Serie B in the same year Pope Francis passed away shows an interesting coincidence. Many football fans, upon hearing this news, jokingly said that "Avellino is blessed by the Popes".

FIFA organizes match to honor the Pope

At the funeral of Pope Francis, the president of the World Football Federation (FIFA) confirmed the organization of a charity match next September.

He said he had previously discussed with Pope Francis about inviting former football stars to participate in a fundraising match for children and young people around the world. Now the upcoming match will also be an opportunity for FIFA to pay tribute to the late Pope.

Pope Francis was an avid football fan during his lifetime. Many football teams paid tribute to him after his death.

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DUC KHUE

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