MADRID (AFP) - Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, who were both in the Champions League just three seasons ago, will spend the next year in the Spanish second division after they were relegated on Sunday.

Real drew 3-3 at Valencia to end 40 years in the top flight of Spanish football while Celta beat Getafe 2-1, but it was not enough to avoid going down as fellow relegation contenders Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis also won.

"It's a huge disappointment," said Real Sociedad coach Miguel Angel Lotina.

"We have to take the blame for a few things, maybe a lot of things, but the one thing that I think we are above reproach about is our perseverance and hard work."

Gaizka Garitano opened the scoring for Real Sociedad, finding the net from close range barely two minutes into the game, but Valencia hit back through a David Villa goal four minutes later, the Spanish international striker's 15th of the season.

Sociedad then saw their first division status disappear when defender Victor Lopez turned a Villa corner into his own net.

Diaz de Cerio got Sociedad back on level terms nine minutes before the break when he hammered home a Darko Kovacevic cross.

However, Sociedad's last game in the Spanish first division continued to be a miserable one when Gerardo Garcia also knocked a Villa shot into his own goal nine minutes from time.

"I'm pleased to be the equal top Spanish scorer in the first division, that's important to me, but everything conspired against me getting another goal," said Villa.

The Basques salvaged a point from an Emiliano Moretti own goal five minutes into injury time but it was too little, and far too late.

"A missed penalty in the final minute of our last match and two own goals in this game tell the story of our season," added a glum Lotina.

Celta coach and Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov couldn't quite perform the rescue act he had been appointed to achieve in April but at least his men went down with their heads held higher than Real Sociedad.

"Now we start from zero, but I've seen enough from these players to suggest that they will be very motivated and capable of returning to the first division at the first attempt," said Stoichkov, who suggested he would stay with the club.

Pablo Redondo put Getafe ahead with a right foot drive from just inside the area after 26 minutes but nine minutes later Habib Bamago escaped his markers to equalise from a Nene cross.

Matias Lequi then gave Celta fans hope of survival when his header after 66 minutes gave them the winner.

"We have played really well in our last three games but it wasn't enough to salvage the season and save us," said Lequi.

Nevertheless, for 14 minutes, Celta fans were hugging themselves in relief and Real Betis looked to be going down but two goals in the last 10 minutes from their Brazilian striker Edu gave Betis a 2-0 win at Racing Santander.

It was the Seville-based side's first win in 13 outings and also gave Paco Chapparo a winning start as coach after taking over from the sacked Luis Fernandez for the final game of the season.

Athletic Bilbao started the day one point and one place above the relegation zone and maintained their status of never being relegated from the Spanish first division after a 2-0 win over Levante.

"We were playing for all or nothing. At least we completed our objective of staying up," said Athletic coach Mane Esnal.

An own goal just on the hour from Levante's Jose Serrano, who turned a Aritz Aduriz shot into his own net from the edge of the six yard box, put Athletic in front.

Igor Gabilondo's header 14 minutes from time then sealed Athletic's victory and ensured that they kept their record of being ever-present in the Spanish first division, along with giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.