Sassuolo has been in the top flight for 11 seasons, but this has been its worst on record, with only 29 points collected and no time left to climb out of the bottom three.

Sassuolo is 19th, five points adrift of safety with only one match remaining.

The club joins Salernitana in the second tier next season with the last relegation spot now to be determined after the final day of the season next weekend.

Sassuolo needed to beat Claudio Ranieri's Cagliari side to maintain slim chances of avoiding the drop.

By beating Sassuolo, 14th-placed Cagliari guaranteed itself another season in the Italian top flight as it moved up to 36 points.

It is three points above 18th-place Empoli, which is also in the danger zone with 33 points after a 1-1 draw with Udinese.

Frosinone, a fellow relegation contender, secured a 1-0 win at Monza to seal Sassuolo's fate.

Fifteenth-placed Frosinone is still not out of danger completely as it is on 35 points and could be overtaken by teams below it in the standings if they does not beat Udinese on what is shaping up to be a nervous final day of the season.