Livorno relegated after season of farce

Livorno were relegated from Serie A on Sunday after producing one of their best displays of the season in a 3-1 home win over Catania, summing up their bizarre campaign.

The Tuscan club returned to the top-flight at the first attempt via the Serie B play-offs last June but it was not long before problems arose.

The Italian Football Federation ruled that coach Gennaro Ruotolo did not have the necessary coaching badges to manage in Serie A so Livorno were forced to appoint Vittorio Russo as a figurehead boss even if Ruotolo continued to run team affairs.

The pair were sacked in October and replacement Serse Cosmi, complete with stylish flat cap, oversaw a slight pickup in form before resigning in January and then quickly changing his mind.

As relegation began to look inevitable, Cosmi heavily criticised his players and was removed at the start of the month with Ruotolo taking over again.

The majority of fans refused to turn up for today's game, disillusioned by a dreadful season which also brought the departures of Alessandro Diamanti in the summer and Antonio Candreva in January.

Victories for Bologna and Lazio elsewhere on Sunday confirmed Livorno's relegation, as they are 10 points adrift of the safety positions with only three games left to play.

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Source: Reuters