Sassuolo have officially been relegated to Serie B after an 11-year stint in the top flight of Italian football. The Neroverdi’s demotion follows Salernitana, who were relegated in late April, with four matches remaining in the 2023-24 season.
Sassuolo’s fate was sealed after a 2-0 home defeat to Cagliari. This loss, combined with today’s results—Frosinone securing a win, and Empoli and Udinese drawing 1-1—confirmed their relegation. Heading into the final day of the season next weekend, one more spot in the bottom three remains contested, with four other teams still at risk.
This season has been unexpectedly challenging for Sassuolo. The team, which had enjoyed stable mid-table finishes under coach Alessio Dionisi—11th in 2021-22 and 13th in 2022-23—found itself in turmoil. Dionisi was dismissed in February, and Davide Ballardini was brought in as his replacement. Despite his efforts, Ballardini couldn’t prevent the slide and now has two consecutive relegations on his record, following his brief tenure at Cremonese in 2023.
Sassuolo also faced significant setbacks with player availability. Davide Frattesi, a key midfielder, was sold to Inter during the summer transfer window. The absence of star forward Domenico Berardi, who suffered two serious injuries keeping him out for much of the second half of the season, further compounded their difficulties.
