Real Betis relegated from La Liga

Real Betis’ relegation from La Liga has been confirmed following Getafe’s 1-0 victory over Malaga on Saturday.

Betis headed into this weekend’s round of fixtures knowing three points for Getafe or Valladolid would confirm their inevitable relegation, and the former duly delivered as Adrian Colunga’s eighth-minute strike earned all three points for Cosmin Contra’s men at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

It rounds off a miserable campaign for Betis, whose two-year stay in Spain’s top flight comes to an end with four matches of their season left to play.

The Seville outfit have won just five times in La Liga this term, and have been on the receiving end of 22 defeats.

Poor results have led to two managerial changes at Estadio Benito Villamarin this season, with Pepe Mel the first to pay the price for a poor run of form in December.

Successor Juan Carlos Garrido fared little better, and he managed little over a month at the helm before Gabriel Calderon was charged with the task of maintaining Betis’ top-flight status.

However, results have failed to improve and a run of just one win in seven league encounters ultimately consigned Betis to the drop.

Getafe’s victory lifts them out of the drop zone, though Real Valladolid possess two games in hand, and 19th-placed Almeria travel to Espanyol on Sunday.