Benevento relegated after first season in Serie A

Crotone’s 2-1 victory away to Udinese on Sunday condemned Benevento to an immediate return to the second division after they were left 14 points from safety with just four matches to play.

The club based some 60 kilometres to the east of Naples began the season in disastrous fashion, losing 14 consecutive matches to break the record for the worst start to a campaign in any of Europe’s top five leagues.

The arrivals of Bacary Sagna, Sandro and giant Malian striker Cheick Diabate — who has scored seven goals in eight games — in the winter transfer window helped Benevento improve but couldn’t spare them from the inevitable drop.