Osasuna relegated from La Liga after defeat at Barcelona

CA Osasuna is mathematically out of La Liga.

On Wednesday, Osasuna became the 2016-17 season's first casualty, as Los Rojillos were relegated by virtue of CD Leganes' 3-0 victory over Las Palmas.

Barcelona's 7-1 rout of Osasuna left Los Rojillos nine points back of Leganes, whose subsequent win against Las Palmas opened the gap to 12 points. While four games remain for the club from Pamplona, Spain, Los Pepineros hold the tiebreaker of head-to-head goal difference.

Osasuna's relegation is anything but a surprise. Their unexpected promotion to La Liga meant Los Rojillos were always going to struggle. Petar Vasiljevic is the club's third manager this season, and he happens to be its sporting director as well.

Enrique Martin Monreal - who unexpectedly brought Osasuna back to La Liga and who supporters regard as the embodiment of Los Rojillos - was sacked in November, when the club had seven points through 11 matches and only one victory. Joaquin Caparros was next, exiting El Sadar without winning a single fixture.

Although Osasuna won two games throughout the first weeks of April, beating Deportivo Alaves and Leganes, it was too late. Los Rojillos went 21 matches without a win and have conceded 82 goals in La Liga this season. Simply put, the club wasn't prepared for top-flight football. The promotion happened in mid-June, after its best player, Mikel Merino, agreed to join Borussia Dortmund, and there was no time to gather the resources to compete.