(Reuters) -Montpellier were relegated to Ligue 2 after 16 successive seasons in France's top flight following Monaco's 1-1 draw with Le Havre on Saturday.
Montpellier's fate was sealed ahead of their game against Reims on Sunday as they remain rooted to the bottom of Ligue 1 with just 15 points from 30 games.
With a maximum of 12 points available from their four remaining games, they lost their chance to avoid the drop as they trail 16th placed Le Havre -- in the relegation playoff spot, by 13 points.
"After 16 consecutive seasons in the top flight, Montpellier will play in the Ligue 2 next season. We would like to thank our loyal fans for their support during this very difficult season," the club said on social media.
Despite securing the valuable point against Monaco, Le Havre remain just one point clear of St Etienne.
Montpellier's desperate late-season gamble on inexperienced coach Zoumana Camara earlier this month failed to produce the required turnaround needed to push them into the relegation play-offs.
The 46-year-old, in his first managerial role after serving as assistant to Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel at Paris St Germain, lost both matches since taking charge, including last week's 5-1 thrashing by Marseille.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
