Soccer-Vazquez sends Cagliari into Serie B

MILAN, May 17 (Reuters) - Cagliari were relegated with two matches still to play, ending an 11-year stint in Serie A, after losing 1-0 at home to Palermo on Sunday. Atalanta, the only team that Cagliari could have caught, were able to celebrate survival despite being crushed 4-1 at home by high-flying Genoa. The Sardinians, who won their only Serie A title in 1970, will follow Parma and Cesena into Serie B after an unhappy season during which they employed three different coaches. Zdenek Zeman was in charge until December when he was replaced by Gianfranco Zola, who himself was sacked in March. Zeman returned but quit one month later and Gianluca Festa took his place. Cagliari, 18th with 28 points, never recovered after Franco Vazquez curled the ball after nine minutes and they were jeered off at the end. Chile forward Mauricio Pinilla gave Atalanta the lead with a penalty but Leonardo Pavoletti headed Genoa level on the half hour. Andrea Bertolacci put Genoa ahead with a superb solo effort in the 57th minute, Iago Falque curled in another four minutes later and also scored the fourth with another curling effort. Domenico Berardi scored a hat-trick against AC Milan for the second season in a row to give Sassuolo a 3-2 win over Filippo Inzaghi's team, who had Giacomo Bonaventura and Suso sent off in the second half. Angry Milan, level on 46 points with 10th placed Palermo after a dismal season, claimed Berardi's first goal did not cross the line after goalkeeper Diego Lopez failed to hold his shot and clawed the ball away. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Pritha Sarkar)