Livorno relegated after season of farce
MILAN - 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.
"This game was completely different to many others because everything went right for us," Livorno striker Cristiano Lucarelli told Sky TV.
The Tuscan club returned to the top-flight at the first attempt via the Serie B playoffs last June but it was not long before problems arose.
The Italian league 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 Sunday's game, disillusioned by a dreadful season which also brought the departures of top players Alessandro Diamanti and Antonio Candreva.
Siena are also all but down with three games left after a 4-1 defeat at Udinese.
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