Salernitana have become the first team to suffer relegation from Serie A this season owing to a 3-0 loss to demotion rivals Frosinone at Stadio Benito Stirpe.
Beginning gameweek 34 with a 13-point gap to safety and their hosts, the visitors knew that anything but a maximum on Friday night would immediately end their three-year stay in the top flight of Italian football.
Even a victory would have only delayed their seemingly inevitable demotion to Serie B if Udinese defeated Bologna on Sunday, but the writing was on the wall for Stefano Colantuono's men with just 25 minutes gone.
Salernitana hit the self-destruct button inside 10 minutes, as Matias Soule coolly slotted home a penalty, before Marco Brescianini found the bottom corner after Salernitana were caught cold on the counter-attack.
Down 2-0 at half time and lacking the attacking punch required to mount a sensational comeback, the Granata's top-flight race was run in the 85th minute, when Nadir Zortea's stunning long-range drive nestled into the far corner.
With just 15 points acquired from 34 games this term, 16 below Hellas Verona, Empoli and Frosinone - now out of the relegation zone - and only fighting for 12 more, Salernitana will officially be playing Serie B football next season.
The Granata had placed 17th in 2021-22 upon their return to the big time before a 15th-placed ranking last season, but they went through four head coaches this season - Paulo Sousa, Filippo Inzaghi, Fabio Liverani and Colantuono - without success.
Salernitana could still leapfrog Sassuolo into 19th place and avoid the embarrassment of finishing last, but they are 11 points behind the Neroverdi with only four games to go.
Ben Knapton
