(Reuters) -Real Valladolid were relegated from Spain's LaLiga on Thursday following a crushing 5-1 defeat at Real Betis, confirming their demotion to the second-tier with five games left in the season.
Bottom-placed Valladolid, who earned promotion to the top flight only last year, have 16 points from 33 games, after only four wins throughout the season and just one since early January.
It marks the team's third relegation since Brazilian great Ronaldo took over as majority owner in 2018, with the former striker now reportedly nearing a sale of his stake in the club.
"It is a very tough day. The dressing room is devastated. We are where we are because we deserve to be," coach Alvaro Rubio told DAZN.
"We haven't been up to the standard of this division. We'll pick ourselves up and keep going.
"A lot of things hurt me, seeing how hard the players try. These are games you lose by a landslide, but they didn't deserve this given the effort they put in."
The heavy loss capped a tumultuous season for Valladolid, which saw two managerial sackings - Diego Cocca and Paulo Pezzolano - before former Valladolid player Rubio took over in February.
Two relegation spots remain to be decided, with Leganes in the danger zone in 19th place with 30 points, just two behind Las Palmas in 18th.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Michael Perry)
