2008–09 Romanian Hockey League season
The 2008–09 Romanian Hockey League season was the 79th season of the Romanian Hockey League. Five teams participated in the league, and SC Miercurea Ciuc won the championship.


2008–09 Ross County F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Ross County's first season back in the Scottish First Division, having been promoted as champions of the Scottish Second Division at the end of the 2007–08 season. They also competed in the Challenge Cup, League Cup and the Scottish Cup.


2008–09 Ross County F.C. season, Summary
Ross County finished Eighth in the First Division. They reached the first round of the League Cup, the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, and the final of the Challenge Cup, losing 3–2 on penalties to Airdrie United.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season
The 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, in the 2008–09 season. It ran alongside the 2008–09 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, Previous season
At the end of the previous season, Toulon were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Mont-de-Marsan, who beat Racing Métro in extra time in the final providing the second promotion place. Blagnac, which had been newly promoted to Pro D2 for the 2007–08 season, finished bottom of the table and were initially relegated to Fédérale 1, but were further relegated by French sporting authorities to Fédérale 2 due to financial problems. Limoges finished second-from-bottom for the second consecutive year; unlike 2006–07, when Limoges were reprieved when Gaillac were denied a professional license due to financial issues, they received no such break in 2007–08. The other promoted team in 2007–08, Aurillac, stayed up, finishing in 11th.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, Previous season
Colomiers and Bourg-en-Bresse earned promotion from Fédérale 1 for the 2008–09 season, while Albi and Auch were relegated from the 2007–08 Top 14.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, 2008–09 synopsis
Racing Métro, which had barely missed out on promotion the previous season, easily won the title, clinching with three rounds to spare. The three promotion playoff games were decided by a total of 5 points, with the semifinal between Albi and La Rochelle being tied after extra time and decided on the third step of the tiebreaker, penalties scored during the match. Albi ultimately defeated Oyonnax in the final to secure an immediate return to the Top 14.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, 2008–09 synopsis
The two newly promoted teams, Colomiers and Bourg-en-Bresse, were in relegation trouble throughout the season, but Colomiers escaped, finishing in 14th, the last safe spot. Bourg-en-Bresse were provisionally joined in relegation by Béziers.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, 2008–09 synopsis
However, this did not end the relegation saga. In order to keep a professional license and stay in Pro D2, all clubs must pass a postseason audit conducted by DNACG (Direction nationale d'aide et de contrôle de gestion), the LNR's financial arm. On June 12, DNACG announced that Tarbes and Bourg-en-Bresse had failed their audits and would be relegated. Tarbes would be relegated to Fédérale 1, while Bourg-en-Bresse, already consigned to Fédérale 1, would face a further drop to Fédérale 2. Béziers would have been spared the drop if Tarbes had not successfully appealed its relegation. However, Tarbes were able to come up with sufficient financial guarantees to satisfy DNACG, and its relegation to Fédérale 1 was officially rescinded on June 26.


2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season, The competition
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match, a system that also makes it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for 2008–09.


2008–09 Rugby Union County Championship
The 2008–09 Bill Beaumont Cup (Rugby Union County Championship) was the 109th edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.


2008–09 Rugby Union County Championship
Lancashire won their 19th title after defeating Gloucestershire in the final.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga
The Rugby-Bundesliga 2008-09 was the 38th edition of this competition and the 89th edition of the German rugby union championship. Nine teams play a home-and-away season with a finals round between the top four teams at the end. The bottom two teams determine which club is relegated in an end-of-season decider. The season started on 30 August 2008 and finished with the championship final on 23 May 2009, interrupted by a winter break from early December to late February.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga
The competition was won by the SC Frankfurt 1880, like in the previous season.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Overview
The 2008-09 modus was somewhat different from the previous season. The competition had been expanded from eight to nine teams. The final, which used to be determined by the top-two teams of the regular season was now played by the two winners of the semi-finals which pair the first placed team against the fourth and the second against the third.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Overview
At the bottom end of the table, a relegation match between the two last-placed teams was also a new introduction. All up, the number of season games in the Rugby-Bundesliga increased to 76 from 57.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Overview
This change of modus was decided upon on 19 July 2008 at the annual general meeting of the German rugby association, the DRV. It was decided to expand the league to ten teams for 2009-10, meaning only one club was to be relegated in 2009, and two promoted. It was also then decided to introduce the extended play-off format.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Overview
The defending champion was SC 1880 Frankfurt, who beat RG Heidelberg in the 2007-08 final, while the RK 03 Berlin was newly promoted to the league.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Overview
With Kerstin Ljungdahl and Dana Teagarden, two female head referees have been officiating in the Rugby-Bundesliga in 2008-09.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Player statistics, Try scorers
The leading try scores in the Rugby-Bundesliga 2008–09 season were (10 tries or more):


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, Player statistics, Point scorers
The leading point scores in the Rugby-Bundesliga 2008–09 season were (100 points or more):


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga, DRV-Pokal 2008-09
In 2008-09, 16 teams took part in the national cup competition, those being the eight clubs who played in the Bundesliga in 2007-08 plus the top-four of each of the two 2nd Bundesligas that season.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga results
These are the results round-by-round for the Rugby-Bundesliga in 2008-09.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads
The following players were on the roster of the nine Rugby-Bundesliga clubs for 2008-09


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, Berliner Rugby Club
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, RK 03 Berlin
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, SC 1880 Frankfurt
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, DRC Hannover
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, Heidelberger RK
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, RG Heidelberg
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, RK Heusenstamm
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, TSV Handschuhsheim
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Rugby-Bundesliga squads, Clubs, SC Neuenheim
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2008–09 Russian Cup
The Russian Cup 2008–09 is the seventeenth season of the Russian football knockout tournament since the dissolution of Soviet Union. The competition started on April 16, 2008 and finished with the Final held in spring 2009. The defending champions were CSKA Moscow.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Preliminary round
This round featured 20 Second Division teams and 2 amateur teams. The games were played from April 16 – 27, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Preliminary round, Section Ural-Povolzhye
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008 season.


2008–09 Russian Cup, First round
In this round entered 11 winners from the previous round as well as 57 other Second Division teams, what made every team competing in this round Second Division one. The matches were played from April 29 – May 18, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Second round
In this round entered 34 winners from the First Round and the 6 remaining Second Division teams. The matches were played from May 21 – 29, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Third round
The winners from the previous round entered this round. The matches were played from June 7 – 13, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Fourth round
In this round entered winners from the previous round as well as 22 First Division teams. The matches were played on June 30 and July 1, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Fourth round
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participated in during the 2008 season.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Fifth round
All 16 Premier League teams entered the competition in this round together with 16 winners from the previous round. The matches were played on August 5 and 6, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Fifth round
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participated in during the 2008 season.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Sixth Round
The winners from the previous round entered the Sixth Round. The matches were played on September 23 and 24, 2008.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Sixth Round
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participated in during the 2008 season.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Quarter-finals
The matches were played on April 15 and 22, 2009.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Quarter-finals
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participated in during the 2009 season.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Semi-finals
The matches were played on May 6 and 13, 2009.


2008–09 Russian Cup, Final
Played in the earlier stages, but were not on the final game squad:


2008–09 Russian Cup, Final
FC Rubin Kazan:  Gabriel (DF),  Jefthon (DF),  Vitali Kaleshin (DF),  Dato Kvirkvelia (DF), Igor Klimov (DF), Mikhail Mischenko (DF), Aleksei Popov (DF),  Lasha Salukvadze (DF),  Andrei Fyodorov (DF),  Vadim Afonin (MF),  Vagiz Galiullin (MF), Andrei Gorbanets (MF), Andrei Kobenko (MF), Aleksei Kotlyarov (MF), Sergei Semak (MF), Ildar Bikchantayev (FW),  Savo Milošević (FW),  Davron Mirzayev (FW), Ruslan Nagayev (FW), Igor Portnyagin (FW).


2008–09 Russian Cup, Final
PFC CSKA Moscow: Anton Grigoryev (DF),  Luboš Kalouda (MF),  Elvir Rahimić (MF),  Ricardo Jesus (FW), Dmitri Ryzhov (FW),  Dawid Janczyk (FW).


2008–09 Russian Volleyball Super League
The Russian Volleyball Super League 2008/2009 is the 18th official season of Russian Volleyball Super League. In all there are 12 teams.


2008–09 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball represented Rutgers University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Fred Hill, then in his 3rd season with the Scarlet Knights. The team played its home games in Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, and is a member of the Big East Conference. The Scarlet Knights finished 15th in the conference's regular season, and were defeated in the first round in the Big East Tournament, falling to Notre Dame 61–50.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season
The 2008–09 European football season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 105th season and their 75th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. The season ran from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, with Benfica competing domestically in the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga. The club also participated in the UEFA Cup, since they finished fourth in the Primeira Liga the previous season.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season
After José Antonio Camacho's March 2008 resignation, Benfica did not have a permanent manager. The club inquired about Quique Sánchez Flores, Sven-Göran Eriksson and others, ultimately choosing Flores. Rui Costa led the transfer activity as Benfica continued to invest heavily, spending nearly €19 million on Javier Balboa, Carlos Martins, Pablo Aimar and Sidnei and bringing in José Antonio Reyes and David Suazo on loan. Major departures included Rui Costa, Cristian Rodríguez, Petit and Nélson.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season
Benfica's season began inauspiciously but they quickly recovered, gaining momentum domestically and eliminating Napoli to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Cup. Until January, club performance fluctuated in their European campaign and the domestic league. Although they finished last in the former, they reached first place in the Primeira Liga for the first time since 2005.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season
In the new year, Benfica suffered their first league loss, falling to second place and beginning their erratic spell. Despite a sterling League Cup (where they earned their first honour in four seasons), the club's league play was not as impressive. They battled Porto for first place until March, when they had another costly loss and were passed by Sporting CP. Benfica tried to retake second place in the remaining eight matches, but in early May, the club dropped five points, sealing their fate; they finished third, missing the UEFA Champions League for a second consecutive season.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
In February 2008, club president Luís Filipe Vieira announced that a new director of football for 2008–09 had been selected. Although he did not name the individual, one month later Rui Costa confirmed that he would oversee Benfica's football division. With the unexpected resignation of head coach José Antonio Camacho on 10 March, assistant Fernando Chalana led the team through the final two months of the season. On 12 April Spanish manager Quique Sánchez Flores confirmed contacts from Benfica, who wanted him to take over the team immediately. Sánchez Flores declined the offer because he did not wish to be a temporary manager, and preferred to join a team at the beginning of the season.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
On 7 May, Vieira and Rui Costa travelled to Manchester to persuade Sven-Göran Eriksson to return for a third stint with Benfica. Although both sides confirmed the meeting, after more than a week without an agreement the club moved on to other coaching candidates. Benfica then contacted Getafe manager Michael Laudrup and Brazilian manager Zico. After failing to come to terms with either, the club turned to first choice Sánchez Flores and signed him on 24 May. Sánchez Flores would be aided by technical assistant Fran Escribá, goalkeeper coach Emilio Álvarez and fitness coach Pako Ayestarán, with Diamantino Miranda and Chalana links to club management.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
Benfica made their first transfer deals in late April, adding Rúben Amorim and Jorge Ribeiro, both of whom had previously played for Benfica. With Sánchez Flores in charge, Benfica added midfielder Hassan Yebda on a free transfer and spent €4 million on Javier Balboa from Real Madrid. Balboa was signed only three days after the shock transfer of former Paris Saint-Germain loan Cristian Rodríguez to rival Porto. Although Benfica negotiated with PSG and the Uruguayan for months, the sides could not reach an agreement. During the next few weeks Benfica continued to spend, paying €3 million to Recreativo de Huelva for Carlos Martins and €6.5 million two weeks later, after a prolonged transfer saga, to Real Zaragoza for Pablo Aimar.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
The club's pre-season began on 8 July with two days of medical tests. Benfica's first training session was held two days later, nine days before their first pre-season match with Estoril. After a draw with Estori, the club lost Guadiana Trophy matches to Blackburn Rovers and Sporting CP. That week Benfica made more squad adjustments, paying €5 million for 18-year old Sidnei and releasing Petit after six years with the club. Early in August, Benfica won the Cidade de Guimarães Trophy against Paris Saint-Germain and Vitória de Guimarães, drawing with the former and defeating the latter.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
Before their presentation match with Feyenoord, Benfica signed Spanish winger José Antonio Reyes in a €2.6 million loan deal. In the match with Feyenoord, Óscar Cardozo scored the winning goal for Benfica. The club ended its preparation for the season against Inter Milan on 15 August in the new Eusébio Cup. After a goalless draw in regular time, the Milanese won on penalties.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
Benfica's first competitive game was an away Primeira Liga opener against Rio Ave. Sánchez Flores did not have Reyes, and Jonathan Urretaviscaya started instead. At the Estádio dos Arcos, the home team scored first with a 55th-minute goal from José Semedo. A minute later Benfica evened the score, with Urreta assisting Nuno Gomes for the 1–1 final result. It was the fourth consecutive time that Benfica failed to win their league start. Sánchez Flores said that Rio Ave created unexpected problems: "It was not a easy game.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
We had a quality opponent, who left us trailing when we were not expecting it." During the last week of August Benfica brought in Honduran striker David Suazo on loan, sold right-back Nélson Marcos to Betis and was paired with Italian side Napoli in the UEFA Cup first-round draw on 29 August. A day later, Benfica hosted Porto for the first Clássico of the season. The visitors started better, converting a 10th-minute penalty kick for a Kostas Katsouranis foul against Lucho González. In the 56th minute, Cardozo exploited a mistake by Helton to head in the equaliser. Three minutes later Katsouranis was sent off, but Benfica held the tie until the final whistle. Quique Flores said, "It was a good game. In normal conditions we would have done better, but circumstances made it a little harder."


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
After the first two weeks of September were dedicated to international football, Benfica returned to competition on the 18th. In the first leg of the qualifying stage for the UEFA Cup, the club faced Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo. Suazo began the scoring for Benfica with a 16th-minute header, but the lead lasted only two minutes. Luigi Vitale tied the score, and Germán Denis scored again for Napoli a minute later. In the second half Christian Maggio added another for Napoli, with Luisão scoring for Benfica three minutes later.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
Although Quique Flores believed that the loss was a combination of referee mistakes and errors by his players, he believed his club could qualify. The following Monday, Benfica visited the Estádio da Mata Real to play Paços de Ferreira in a 4–3 win. Nuno Gomes scored the one-nil in the sixth minute, and Paços equalised less than 10 minutes later. Before half-time, Quique's men added two more goals. In the restart, Paços made the match 3–2 in the 63rd minute before Benfica responded with a fourth goal from Jorge Ribeiro. Before the final whistle, William scored another for Paços.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
Sánchez Flores said about his first win at Benfica, "I am happy for the fans, who needed this to feel that their team also fights for the league." On 27 September, Benfica hosted Sporting CP for the first Derby de Lisboa of the season. With the visitors enjoying a four-point lead in the league, Benfica had to win to move up in the standings. The game's only goals were in the second half, the first in the 67th minute when Pablo Aimar assisted Reyes; four minutes later, Sidnei headed in a free kick from Carlos Martins for the second. Sánchez Flores was encouraged by the victory against a team as strong as Sporting.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
October began with a crucial match against Napoli. Benfica had only defeated Italian teams four times, most recently on 29 March 1994. The club won with two second-half goals (an opener from Reyes and a confirmation goal from Nuno Gomes), qualifying for the group stage. The victory placed Sánchez Flores in club history, since Benfica had never eliminated an Italian team after losing the first leg. The game was Benfica TV's first broadcast. On 6 October, the club played Leixões on the road.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
With the top of the Primeira Liga just three points away, Benfica could not beat the home team, losing two points; they led the game for over an hour, but were stopped by an 88th-minute equaliser from Wesley. To Sánchez Flores, the draw was due to Benfica's performance: low possession, missed passes and fouls resulting in free kicks. The following day, Benfica heard from UEFA headquarters in Nyon that their UEFA Cup group would include Olympiacos, Galatasaray, Hertha BSC and Metalist Kharkiv. After a two-week break for international matches, competition resumed with the Taça de Portugal on the 18th.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
Benfica met third-tier side Penafiel at home; unable to defeat them in regular and extra time, they required penalty kicks. Luís Dias missed one for Penafiel, enabling Benfica to advance to the fifth round. Sánchez Flores said, "We wanted to play good football, but that did not happen." The following Thursday, Benfica travelled to Berlin to play Hertha in the Group B opening game. They took the lead with a 51st-minute goal from Ángel Di María, but Hertha responded with a 74th-minute equaliser when a shot by Marko Pantelić was deflected by Maxi Pereira.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
Captain Nuno Gomes said that although an away draw in Europe was a good result, Hertha's equaliser was bitter for the team. October ended with a home game against Naval. After a first half in which both teams failed to convert opportunities, Benfica scored their opening goal in the 71st minute. Naval evened the score eleven minutes later, but Cardozo responded with an 86th-minute winner for Benfica. Sánchez Flores said that the game was difficult because of his club's inconsistency.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
In November, Benfica had a busy schedule with six matches, two for the UEFA Cup. They began with a visit to Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, home of Vitória de Guimarães. David Suazo's 14th-minute goal was Benfica's 5,000th goal in competition. Sidnei made the score 2–0, with Guimarães scoring a goal. The win gave Benfica second place, one point shy of leader Leixões. Sánchez Flores attributed the victory to his players' commitment. The following Thursday, Benfica hosted Galatasaray in match-day two of the UEFA Cup. They lost two-nil, with second-half goals from Emre Aşık and Ümit Karan.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
It was the club's first European loss to a Turkish team, and their largest home loss in European competition since 6 March 1997. With one point in two games, Benfica had to earn points in their next match to remain in the competition. On 10 November, the club romped over Desportivo das Aves in the Portuguese Cup. The Liga de Honra side was helpless against Benfica's offence, trailing three-nil at the 30-minute mark. Almost a week later, Benfica hosted a league game against Estrela da Amadora.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
After a first half in which they struggled to beat Estrela goalkeeper Nélson, in the 51st minute Nuno Gomes assisted Sidnei for the game's only goal. Sánchez Flores called the win important because it held Benfica's lead over their rivals. The club continued to win domestically, with an away victory over Académica on the 23rd. Earning 21 points in nine match days was a club high for the 2000s, matched only in 2000–01. Four days later, Benfica visited Karaiskakis Stadium to play Olympiacos. With a 39th-second goal from Luciano Galletti, the club trailed from the beginning.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
They conceded three more goals in the first half and a fifth in the second half, losing 5–1. The result left Benfica on the brink of a UEFA Cup exit, and was a dark remembrance of their worst European defeat nine years before in Vigo. Their performance was criticised; according to Luís Avelãs it was "extremely poor, full of beginner's mistakes, inadmissible distractions and multiple poor choices", and Sánchez Flores apologised to the fans.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Benfica began December hoping to extend their domestic winning streak, and the club's first game hosted Vitória de Setúbal on 1 December. Laionel opened the score for Setúbal in the 35th minute, with Benfica only responding in the second half with Kostas Katsouranis. In the 59th minute, David Suazo fired a powerful shot that beat Pedro Alves and put Benfica in the lead. However, in the 91st minute, a bicycle kick by Anderson do Ó cleared Quim and levelled the game. Although Sánchez Flores called the equaliser an accident, he soon dropped Quim in favour of José Moreira.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
A week later, Benfica visited the Estádio dos Barreiros to play Marítimo. They had their best performance of the season, winning 6–0 with Suazo and Nuno Gomes each scoring twice. The win put Benfica at the top of the table for the first time since May 2005, and was their largest away win since 1974. On 13 December, Benfica played Leixões for a place in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals. On a rainy night at Estádio do Mar, neither team could find the back of the net in regular and extra time. Reyes missed a penalty, giving Leixões the win.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Although Nuno Gomes was frustrated with the elimination, he said it was time to hold their heads high and win the league. On Thursday the 18th, Benfica closed their European campaign by hosting Metalist Kharkiv. To qualify, Benfica had to win 8–0 and Olympiacos not win; in case of a draw, Benfica needed a better goal average. They lost one-nil, finishing last in Group B. Sánchez Flores assumed full responsibility for his team's performance in the competition. Of 40 teams, only Partizan, Heerenveen and Feyenoord played worse than Benfica. The year ended with a home game against Nacional.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Benfica never overcame Nacional goalkeeper Rafael Bracalli, wasting an opportunity to open a four-point lead in the league table. The match ended in controversy after Cardozo had a goal disallowed because Miguel Vítor had deflected the ball with his hands. According to Sánchez Flores, the goal was legitimate and Benfica were deprived of three points.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
In January, the club had seven scheduled matches, four in the Primeira Liga and three for the League Cup. They opened with an away game against Trofense, their first league loss. Reguila scored first for Trofense, with Hélder Barbosa adding a confirmation goal in the 82nd minute. The loss cost Benfica first place, and they trailed Porto by one point. Quique Flores said, "We played very poorly, weak in all aspects, especially offensively". Benfica rebounded with an away win in Guimarães in the first match day of the Taça da Liga.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Katsouranis headed in the first goal in the ninth minute, and Carlos Martins added a second goal in the 82nd minute. On 11 January, Benfica defeated Braga at the Estádio da Luz. At half-time, David Luiz headed in a controversial winner, and Sánchez Flores said that the club were on course to regain their confidence after a poor past few weeks. They won their third match in a row on 14 January, defeating Olhanense 4–1 for the League Cup. Dí Maria scored the final goal in an individual effort dedicated to Diego Maradona, who was present.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
On 17 January, Benfica confirmed a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup with a one-nil win against Belenenses. The goal was scored by Katsouranis, assisted by Di María. The following Friday, Benfica faced Beleneses for the second time in a week. They had less success, losing two points in a goalless draw. Sánchez Flores said that Benfica could have won, and the draw was a poor result. The club ended the month with a home win against Rio Ave. Mantorras scored the only goal in the 70th minute, three minutes after entering the game. Now a squad player after several injury-plagued seasons, he was regarded as a super-sub; 12 of his 28 Benfica goals came from the bench.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
In February, Benfica's schedule included two difficult away matches against Porto and Sporting. They began the month with the semi-final of the 2008–09 Taça da Liga against Vitória de Guimarães. Benfica scored the opening goal on a Carlos Martins corner kick which Grégory headed into his own net. Near the end of regulation time, Pablo Aimar added the second (his first for the club), and Guimarães responded with a consolation goal. Four days later, Benfica played Porto at the Estádio do Dragão in a game between the top two teams on the league table.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
They scored first through Hassan Yebda, who headed in a corner kick from José Antonio Reyes. In the second half, Benfica held Porto until the 72nd minute, when Pedro Proença signalled a controversial penalty by Yebda on Lisandro López. Lucho González converted it for a 1–1 draw. Sánchez Flores was satisfied, because the club played well and controlled the game. The result kept Porto on top of the league table by one point. On 15 February, Benfica hosted Paços de Ferreira.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
The scoring came in the second half – the first goal in the 69th minute, when Aimar assisted Óscar Cardozo. Four minutes later, Rúben Amorim made it 2–0, with Paços reacting immediately with the 2–1 from Ferreira. Near the end, Di María scored the third goal for Benfica, with Paços cutting their lead to 3–2 and then hitting the post. Sánchez Flores called it a hard-fought win, with his players' commitment keeping Porto at bay. Almost a week later, Benfica visited the Estádio José Alvalade to face Sporting.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
An 11th-minute opener from Liédson was answered with an equaliser from Reyes before half-time. In the second half, Derlei unlocked the draw, scoring Sporting's second goal before Liédson scored a third; Cardozo brought it down to 3–2, and the clock ran out three minutes later. Benfica's second league loss had troubling consequences; Sporting was tied for second place with 37 points, and Porto had a four-point lead. The club finished February with a home win against Leixões. Élvis opened with an own goal for Benfica.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Nuno Gomes later scored the second (his fifth goal of the season), with Leixões replying with a goal of their own. Despite playing with ten men, Benfica held Leixões back and won. To Sánchez Flores, the match was intense and difficult, but the victory put pressure on their opponents (who faced each other in following day). With a goalless draw in the game between Porto and Sporting, Benfica finished February with 40 points, two fewer than Porto.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
March was less busy than February, with only three matches. Benfica's first was at the Municipal José Bento Pessoa against Naval. The club took the lead with a third-minute goal from Aimar. Naval evened the score at the start of the second half with a goal by Marcelinho, but Katsouranis scored Benfica's second goal. Miguel Vítor, who assisted the goal, told the media that Benfica wanted to keep winning in case Porto slipped. On 14 March, the club hosted Vitória de Guimarães in their third game of 2009. Benfica was caught off-guard, losing 1–0 on a 66th-minute goal from Roberto.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Sánchez Flores called the defeat an "accident that sometimes happens", and said his team was focused on the remaining eight games. The loss impacted the league standings; Benfica dropped to third place, and Porto had a five-point lead over Sporting. A week later, Benfica and Sporting played the 2009 Taça da Liga Final at the Estádio do Algarve. After a goalless first half, Sporting scored the opening goal through Bruno Pereirinha in the 48th minute. Reyes levelled the score for Benfica in the 75th minute, converting a penalty kick. The game was decided on penalties, and the club won their first League Cup. With his first trophy at Benfica, Sánchez Flores called the win fair and the club had their sights on recovering second place and winning the league championship.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
Club competition paused in the last week of March, resuming over the first weekend of April. Benfica's first game was a visit to nearby Estádio da Reboleira to meet Estrela da Amadora. Referee Hugo Miguel called three penalties in the first half-hour: two for Benfica and one for Estrela. Cardozo converted both (in the fifth and 16th minutes), and Silvestre Varela scored for Estrela in a 2–1 final result. Sánchez Flores said that although Benfica played poorly, winning was what mattered.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
On 11 April, Benfica hosted Académica in another home loss; a 23rd-minute goal by William Tiero secured Académica's second consecutive away win against Benfica. The loss ended any hope of winning the title, since Porto had an eight-point lead. The race for second place (and a UEFA Champions League spot) also experienced a setback, since Sporting now had a four-point lead. The fans turned on Sánchez Flores, waving white handkerchiefs in the traditional request for resignation. The Spaniard realised that winning the Primeira Liga was nearly impossible, and Benfica should focus on qualifying for the Champions League.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
The club rebounded with an away win against Vitória de Setúbal. They started strong, scoring three goals in the first half for a final score of 4–0. Cardozo and Nuno Gomes scored two goals apiece. A week after Setúbal, Benfica hosted Marítimo for April's final match. By the 38th minute, the club was winning 3–0. Marítimo reacted, cutting Benfica's lead to 3–2 in the 60th minute, but the club defended their lead. Although Sánchez Flores was happy with the three points, he said that Benfica should have better controlled the game.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
In May, Benfica had four matches to gain four points on Sporting. The first was at the Estádio da Madeira with Nacional. Knowing that Sporting had lost points to Académica, Benfica hoped to narrow the gsp between them to two points. After an uneventful first half, in the 56th minute Nenê scored the opening goal for Nacional. Eight minutes later, Rúben Micael extended the lead, with Reyes reducing it in the 67th minute. Benfica pressed unsuccessfully for the equaliser before Nacional scored again with Miguel Fidalgo. Sánchez Flores realised that winning the league title was now impossible.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
On 9 May, Benfica met Trofense at home. Valdomiro scored first for the visitors in the 31st minute before Benfica scored twice in two minutes, reaching half-time with a 2–1 lead. In the second half, Paulinho tied the score for Trofense. Sporting won that day, so Benfica trailed by seven points with two match days left and could not qualify for the Champions League. Sánchez Flores said, "I know when to arrive and when to leave. I do not want to be a problem for the club." Playing out the schedule, Benfica first visited the Municipal de Braga.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
They won 3–1, ending a five-year winless streak there. The victory was against Jorge Jesus, widely reported as Sánchez Flores' successor. A week later, Benfica ended their campaign with a 3–1 win against Belenenses. Sánchez Flores analysed the club's season: "They asked me to improve the team and I did. But we all know what happened last year; we should set realistic goals. Second place was possible, but we failed in the final third. I won a title and fought for another." A short time later, he and the club terminated his contract.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
The squad for the season consisted of the players in the tables below and staff members Quique Flores (manager), Fran Escribá (assistant manager), Emilio Álvarez (goalkeeper coach), Paco Ayestaran (fitness coach), and Diamantino Miranda and Fernando Chalana as links to club management.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 2008–09 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.


2008–09 S.S. Lazio season
The 2008–09 season was the 109th season in Società Sportiva Lazio's history and their 21st consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. Lazio finished in 10th place in Serie A, however, won the Coppa Italia this season.


2008–09 S.S. Lazio season, Squad, First team
As of September 20, 2008Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 S.S. Lazio season, Squad, First team
For all transfers and loans pertaining to Lazio for the current season, please see; summer 2008 transfers.


2008–09 S.S.C. Napoli season
2008–09 Serie A was the 67th Serie A season in the history of Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, and their 83rd overall.


2008–09 S.S.C. Napoli season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 S.S.C. Napoli season, Squad statistics, Starting 11
Last updated: 31 May 2009Source: Squad statistics and Start formations Only competitive matches. Using the most used start formation. Ordered by position on pitch (from back right to front left).


2008–09 SC Bastia season
French football club SC Bastia's 2008–09 season. Finished 11th place in league. Top scorer of the season, including 10 goals in 10 league matches have been Pierre-Yves André. Was eliminated to Coupe de France 8. round, the Coupe de la Ligue was able to be among the final 32 teams.


2008–09 SC Bastia season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SC Rheindorf Altach season
The 2008–09 season was SC Rheindorf Altach's 80th season in existence and the club's 3rd consecutive season in the top flight of Austrian football. In addition to the domestic league, Altach participated in this season's edition of the Austrian Cup.


2008–09 SC Rheindorf Altach season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SC Rheindorf Altach season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SIJHL season
The 2008–09 SIJHL season is the 8th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL will play 50-game schedules.


2008–09 SIJHL season
Come February, the top teams of the league will play down for the Bill Salonen Cup, the SIJHL championship. The winner of the Bill Salonen Cup will compete in the Central Canadian Junior "A" championship, the Dudley Hewitt Cup. If successful against the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, the champion would then move on to play in the Canadian Junior Hockey League championship, the 2009 Royal Bank Cup.


2008–09 SIJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title


2008–09 SIJHL season, Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship
Hosted by the Schreiber Diesels in Schreiber, Ontario. Fort William finished in second place and Schreiber finished in third.


2008–09 SIJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes


2008–09 SIJHL season, Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average


2008–09 SK Rapid Wien season
The 2008–09 SK Rapid Wien season is the 111th season in club history.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20
The 2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20 is the 2nd season of the official Twenty20 domestic cricket competition in Sri Lanka. Six teams in total, five representing four provinces of Sri Lanka and a Sri Lanka Schools XI team participating in the competition. The competition began on 25 March 2009when Ruhuna elevens played the Sri Lanka Schools XI at Moors Sports Club Ground, Colombo.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20
This season comprised 15 regular matches, two semi finals and a grand final.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Rules and regulations
Teams received 4 points for a win, 2 for a tie or no result, and 0 for a loss. At the end of the regular matches the teams ranked two and three play each other in the preliminary final. The winner of the preliminary final earns the right to play the first placed team in the final at the home venue of the first placed team. In the event of several teams finishing with the same number of points, standings are determined by most wins, then net run rate (NRR). All finals were played at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Statistics, Most Runs
The top five highest run scorers (total runs) in the season are included in this table.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Statistics, Most Wickets
The following table contains the five leading wicket-takers of the season.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Statistics, Highest Team Totals
The following table lists the six highest team scores during this season.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Statistics, Highest Scores
This table contains the top five highest scores of the season made by a batsman in a single innings.


2008–09 SLC Super Provincial Twenty20, Statistics, Best Bowling Figures in an innings
This table lists the top five players with the best bowling figures in an innings.


2008–09 SM-liiga season
The 2008-09 SM-liiga season was the 34th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland. 14 teams participated in the league, and JYP Jyvaskyla won the championship.


2008–09 SPHL season
The 2008–09 Southern Professional Hockey League season was the fifth season of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The regular season began August 24, 2008, and ended April 16, 2009, after a 60-game regular season and a four-team playoff. The Knoxville Ice Bears captured their second consecutive championship.


2008–09 SPHL season, Preseason
The Jacksonville Barracudas franchise was suspended from the season due to lack of an arena. The team would eventually fold.


2008–09 SPHL season, Awards, All-Star selections
F Travis Kauffeldt (Huntsville) F Donald Melnyk (Twin City) F Kevin Swider (Knoxville) D Kevin Harris (Knoxville) D Dan Vandermeer (Richmond) G Andrew Gallant (Knoxville)


2008–09 SPHL season, Awards, All-Star selections
F Tim Green (Columbus) F Beau McLaughlin (Richmond) F Rob Sich (Fayetteville) D Corey Hessler (Fayetteville) D Lawne Snyder (Fayetteville) G Ian Vigier (Columbus)


2008–09 SPHL season, Awards, All-Star selections
F Sam Bowles (Columbus) F Ryan Busby (Richmond) F Michael Richard (Twin City) D Kyle Lundale (Columbus) D Travis Martell (Knoxville) G Ryan Scott (Richmond)


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season
During the 2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, the club finished 10th in the Bundesliga, won the DFB-Pokal, and were eliminated in the Group Stage of Champions League and the final of the UEFA Cup.


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, Werder Bremen II
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, DFB–Pokal, DFB–Pokal review
In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, on 17 August, Werder Bremen defeated Oberliga club Eintracht Nordhorn 9–3. Werder Bremen got four goals from Markus Rosenberg, three goals from Hugo Almeida, and two more goals from Boubacar Sanogo and Jurica Vranješ. Dennis Brode, Herion Novaku, and Bertino Nacar scored for Eintracht Nordhorn. Then in the second round, on 23 September, Werder Bremen defeated 3. Liga club Erzgebirge Aue 2–1. Fabian Müller gave Erzgebirge Aue a 1–0 lead in the seventh minute. However, Werder Bremen equalized with a 26-minute goal from Claudio Pizarro and took the lead with a 54-minute goal from Markus Rosenberg. Then in the round of 16, on 28 January, Werder Bremen defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–1.


2008–09 SV Werder Bremen season, Champions League, Champions League review
Werder Bremen kicked–off their Champions League campaign with a 0–0 draw against Anorthosis Famagusta on 16 September.


2008–09 Saba Qom F.C. season
This is a list of Saba Qom's results at the 2008–09 Persian Gulf Cup, 2008–09 Hazfi Cup and 2009 ACL. The club is competing in the Iran Pro League, Hazfi Cup and Asian Champions League.


2008–09 Sacramento Kings season
The 2008–09 Sacramento Kings season is the 64th season of the franchise, 60th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), 24th in Sacramento. After they traded away Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets in exchange for former Kings guard Bobby Jackson, and recently drafted Donte Greene a 2009 first-round pick and cash considerations during the offseason, the Kings have struggled all season and they finished with a franchise–worst 17–65 record surpassed their record mark set in the 1989–90 season of 23–59 record and also team suffered their first 60–loss season in franchise history.


2008–09 Sacramento Kings season
After a slow start into the season, on December 15, 2008, just ten days before Christmas, the Kings fired their head coach Reggie Theus and their assistant coach Chuck Person after a 6–18 start and replaced by assistant coach Kenny Natt on the interim basis for the rest of the season.


2008–09 Sacramento Kings season
At the trade deadline in midseason after the All-Star break they traded away former two-time All-Star Brad Miller and John Salmons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Andrés Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons. Kings' guard Kevin Martin played only 51 games due to ankle injuries and this will be their final full season with the team before being traded to the Houston Rockets, following the season.


2008–09 Sacramento Kings season
Also, following the season, interim head coach Natt and their four assistant coaches Rex Kalamian, former Kings' player Randy Brown, Bubba Burrage, and Jason Hamm were all fired on April 24, 2009, just nine days after the regular season was concluded with a franchise–low 17–win season and he was replaced by former Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder) head coach Paul Westphal on June 9, 2009.


2008–09 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team represented Saint Louis University in the 2008–09 college basketball season. This was head coach Rick Majerus's second season at Saint Louis. The Billikens competed in the Atlantic 10 Conference. It was also the Billikens first season in which they played their home games at Chaifetz Arena. They finished the season 18–14 and 8–8 in A-10 play.


2008–09 San Antonio Spurs season
The 2008–09 San Antonio Spurs season was the 42nd season of the franchise and the 33rd in the National Basketball Association (NBA).


2008–09 San Antonio Spurs season
In the playoffs, the Spurs lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the First Round.


2008–09 San Antonio Spurs season, Player statistics, Playoffs
The Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks.


2008–09 San Antonio Spurs season, Awards and records, Records
Tim Duncan became the first player in NBA history to be an All-NBA selection in his first twelve seasons. Duncan is one of only eight players in the history of the league to be selected twelve times.


2008–09 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team
The 2008–09 San Diego State men's basketball team represented San Diego State University in the 2008–09 college basketball season. This was head coach Steve Fisher's tenth season at San Diego State. The Aztecs competed in the Mountain West Conference and played their home games at the Viejas Arena.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season
The 2008–09 San Jose Sharks season was the Sharks' 18th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Season events, Pre-season
On June 12, the San Jose Sharks named Todd McLellan their new head coach.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Season events, Pre-season
The Sharks traded for defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signed Rob Blake.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Season events, Pre-season
Former Shark Jeff Friesen tried out for a spot on the team, but the team released him before the season opener.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Season events, Pre-season
Kyle McLaren was placed on waivers, just before the regular season began. He was not claimed by any NHL team and was thus sent down to the Sharks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, to receive more playing time and so that the Sharks could play under the salary cap.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Standings, Divisional standings
Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Standings, Conference standings
bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, p – Presidents' Trophy winnerCE – Central Division, NW – Northwest Division, PA – Pacific Division


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Player statistics, Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Sharks. Stats reflect time with the Sharks only. ‡Traded mid-seasonBold/italics denotes franchise record


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Transactions, Trades
Sharks acquired defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich for defenseman Matt Carle, defensive prospect Ty Wishart, a first-round-pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round-pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Transactions, Trades
Traded defenseman Craig Rivet to Buffalo Sabres for a second-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round-pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Transactions, Draft picks
San Jose's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.


2008–09 San Jose Sharks season, Farm teams
The Sharks affiliate in the American Hockey League was the Worcester Sharks. The Worcester club finished in fourth place in the AHL's Atlantic Division with 42 wins and 35 losses. Worcester's leading scorer was Mike Iggulden with 29 goals and 66 points.


2008–09 San Miguel Beermen season
The 2008–09 San Miguel Beermen season was the 34th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2008–09 Santosh Trophy
The Santosh Trophy 2009 was a football tournament in India. In the final, held in Chennai, Goa beat West Bengal by 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup
The 2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup was the 34th season of the Saudi Crown Prince Cup since its establishment in 1957. This season's competition featured a total of 16 teams, 12 teams from the Pro League, and 4 teams from the Qualifying Rounds.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup
Pro League side Al-Hilal were the defending champions and successfully defended their title after a 1–0 win against Al-Shabab in the final. Al-Hilal won their eighth title to become the most successful team in the competition.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Qualifying rounds
All of the competing teams that are not members of the Pro League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 4 available places in the Round of 16. First Division sides Al-Fateh, Al-Riyadh and Al-Ansar qualified as well as Second Division side Al-Fayha.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Qualifying rounds, First Round
The First Round matches were played on 13 November 2008.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Qualifying rounds, Second Round
The Second Round matches were played on 27 & 28 November 2008.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Qualifying rounds, Final Round
The Final Round matches were played on 2 December 2008.


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Round of 16
The Round of 16 fixtures were played on 13, 14 and 15 February 2009. All times are local, AST (UTC+3).


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Quarter-finals
The Quarter-finals fixtures were played on 18 and 19 February 2009. All times are local, AST (UTC+3).


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Semi-finals
The Semi-finals fixtures were played on 22 and 23 February 2009. All times are local, AST (UTC+3).


2008–09 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Final
The final was held on 27 February 2009 in the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. All times are local, AST (UTC+3).


2008–09 Saudi Professional League
The 2008–09 Saudi Professional League was the 33rd season of Saudi Professional League since its establishment in 1976. Al-Hilal were the defending champions, having won their 11th title in the previous season. The campaign began on 13 September 2008 and ended on 12 April 2009. A total of 12 teams contested the league, 10 of which already contested in the 2007–08 season, and two of which were promoted from the First Division.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League
On 12 April 2009, in the final round of the season, Al-Ittihad won the title after a 2–1 victory over Al-Hilal. It was their eighth league title overall. Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab all secured a berth for the 2010 AFC Champions League, while Al-Nassr and Al-Ettifaq qualified for the 2009–10 Gulf Club Champions Cup. Al-Watani and Abha were relegated to the First Division.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Changes, Professional League rebrand
On 26 May 2008, the Saudi FF announced that league would be rebranded and would be known as the Saudi Professional League. The changes were based on the criteria introduced by AFC President Mohammed bin Hammam to improve the football standards in Asia. The changes also included a website dedicated to recording statistics of the league for the first time. It was also announced that the website would be run by the Saudi Professional League rather than the Saudi FF.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Changes, Qualification and Prize money
The League champions, runners-up and third place as well as the winner of the King Cup of Champions qualified for the 2010 AFC Champions League.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Changes, Qualification and Prize money
The top eight teams qualified for King Cup of Champions.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Teams
Twelve teams competed in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Al-Raed (returning to the top flight after an absence of five years) and Abha (returning to the top flight after an absence of two years). They replaced Al-Tai (after seven consecutive years in the top-flight) and Al-Qadisiyah (after six consecutive years in the top-flight).


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Teams, Foreign players
The number of foreign players was limited to 3 per team, and should not be a goalkeeper. For the January transfer window, the SAFF added an additional slot for a player from one of the AFC countries.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Teams, Foreign players
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Relegation play-offs
Al-Raed, who finished 10th, faced Abha, who finished 11th for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2009–10 Professional League while the loser was relegated to the First Division. Al-Raed won 4–3 on aggregate and retained their place in the next edition.


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Season statistics, Scoring, Hat-tricks
4 Player scored 4 goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team


2008–09 Saudi Professional League, Awards
The following awards were given following the conclusion of the season. The awards were known as the Arriyadiyah and Mobily Awards for Sports Excellence and were sponsored by Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah and Saudi telecommunication company Mobily. The awards were presented on 30 May 2009.


2008–09 Savannah State Lady Tigers basketball team
The 2008–09 Savannah State Lady Tigers basketball team competed in American basketball on behalf of Savannah State University. The Lady Tigers were members of the NCAA Division I-AA, as an independent. The head coach is Cedric Hardy, who served his fifth year. The team played its home games at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Georgia.


2008–09 Savannah State Lady Tigers basketball team
The Lady Tigers entered the season seeking to improve on the 14–15 record posted in the 2007–08 season, but finished with an 8–20 regular season record. The Lady Tigers were 1–2 in the Division I Women's  Independent Tournament.


2008–09 Savannah State Tigers basketball team
The 2008–09 Savannah State Tigers basketball team competed in American basketball on behalf of Savannah State University. The Tigers competed in the NCAA Division I as an independent. The head coach is Horace Broadnax who is in his fourth year. The team played its home games at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Georgia. The Tigers entered the season seeking to improve on the 13-18 record posted in the 2007-08 season.


2008–09 Scarlets season
The 2008–09 season is the sixth in the history of the Scarlets regional side. The season will see the Scarlets compete in three competitions: the Celtic League, the EDF Energy Cup and the Heineken Cup. The season welcomes a change of ground, with the team moving from their home of over 125 years, Stradey Park, to a new stadium in Pemberton named Parc y Scarlets, as well as a change in the team name, dropping the "Llanelli" from their moniker to become the Scarlets.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
The Scarlets opened their 2008-09 Celtic League season away to Ulster on 5 September 2008. Despite playing against the wind in the first half, the Scarlets scored an early penalty in the sixth minute, before Darren Daniel scored the first try of the game, crossing in the corner. Clinton Schifcofske scored three penalties in response to make the half-time score 10–9 to the visitors. The Scarlets then took full advantage of the wind in the second half, Stephen Jones putting over two penalties to put the result beyond doubt.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
The Scarlets' next match came five days later, when they travelled to Rodney Parade to take on the Newport Gwent Dragons. The game looked out of the Llanelli side's reach at half time, as they trailed 25–6, but two unanswered tries from Martin Roberts and Nathan Brew, a conversion and two further penalties from Stephen Jones pulled the score back to 25–24. Brew came close to putting the Scarlets into the lead with 11 minutes to go, but fumbled the ball before he could get to the line, while Stephen Jones put an easy drop goal wide moments later. Fortunately for him, after Robert Lewis conceded a penalty in front of the posts, Jones finally gave the Scarlets a two-point win with three minutes left to play.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
The team's next game came just three days later, at home to Connacht in the first of their final three games at Stradey Park. The Irish side opened the scoring with a penalty in the first minute, but those were to be their only points of the match as the Scarlets tore through the Connacht defence seemingly at will. Both Morgan Stoddart and Dafydd James broke the Connacht line before Deacon Manu scored the first try of the game, and then an almost identical one soon after to make the score 12–3 going into half-time.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
Two more tries came soon after the break, from Jonathan Davies and Nathan Brew, securing the try bonus point for the Scarlets. Man of the match Morgan Stoddart added two more before the end, with his tries separated by one from Mark Jones, to end the final Celtic League game at Stradey Park with a 45–3 win for the home side.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
The Scarlets unbeaten start to the season came to an end on 19 September when they travelled to Scotland to play Edinburgh, losing 32–12. The loss meant that the Scarlets' run of being the only team not to beat Edinburgh at Murrayfield continued. It took 26 minutes before the first try came for Edinburgh, and it was not long before they added a second. They could have had a third just before half time, but Mark Robertson knocked on in the in-goal area attempting to gather a bouncing ball.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
The third eventually did come, however, as did a fourth before the midpoint of the second half. A Morgan Stoddart try was sandwiched between Edinburgh's two second half scores, and Martin Roberts crossed with a minute left to play, but it was too little, too late for the Scarlets. They then suffered a second defeat to a Scottish team in as many weeks with a 34–20 loss to Glasgow Warriors on 26 September.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
Despite taking a 12–0 lead in the first quarter of the match, the Scarlets found themselves 13–12 down at half-time and conceded another two tries before the 60 minute mark. Mark Jones scored a consolation try with eight minutes to go, but it was nullified by a last minute Glasgow try.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
After a two-month break for the EDF Energy Cup, the Heineken Cup and the Autumn internationals, the Scarlets restarted their Celtic League campaign with a home game against Munster on 28 November 2008, their first match at their new stadium, Parc y Scarlets. The two sides exchanged a penalty each in the first quarter of the game, but it was Munster who scored the first try at the ground, Ian Dowling crossing in the 33rd minute. Denis Leamy then scored a converted try shortly before half-time, making the score 15–3 to the Irish at the interval. The second half was largely uneventful until the Scarlets made a late resurgence, being awarded a penalty try in injury time at the end of the game. However, it was not enough to overturn the Munster lead, the match finishing 18–16 to Munster.


2008–09 Scarlets season, Celtic League
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Points for; A = Points against; PD = Points difference; BP = Bonus points; Pts = Points


2008–09 Scarlets season, EDF Energy Cup
The Scarlets kicked off their 2008–09 EDF Energy Cup campaign with a 26–17 win away to Saracens on 5 October 2008. Australian Number 8 David Lyons opened the scoring for the Llanelli side, but Saracens responded almost immediately with two converted tries. However, the Scarlets took a 16–14 half-time lead through the boot of Stephen Jones. Saracens retook the lead soon after the break, but a Kees Meeuws try in the 48th minute secured the win for the Scarlets, while Stephen Jones denied the English side a losing bonus point with a penalty in the 63rd minute.


2008–09 Scarlets season, EDF Energy Cup
On 24 October 2008, the Scarlets hosted Bristol for the last ever competitive match to be held at Stradey Park. The home side got off to a perfect start, with Morgan Stoddart crossing the try line after just two minutes. Following lengthy analysis by the Television Match Official, Simon Easterby was awarded a try just before half-time, to take the score to 17–0 going into half time. A Stephen Jones penalty 10 minutes into the second half made it 20–0, before former Bristol centre Rob Higgitt scored to effectively put the result beyond doubt.


2008–09 Scarlets season, EDF Energy Cup
The remainder of the match was spent with the Scarlets seeking the one try that would have given them the bonus point win, but it never came, and they had to be content with a 27–0 whitewash. The result put them in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals, although Northampton were still to play both Saracens and the Scarlets themselves.


2008–09 Scarlets season, EDF Energy Cup
Saracens beat Northampton that Sunday, meaning that the Scarlets needed only to avoid defeat to Northampton to qualify for the semi-finals. The match was played at Franklin's Gardens on the Saturday of the following weekend, and started at a blistering pace, with Regan King and Morgan Stoddart scoring tries in the first ten minutes. Northampton hit back immediately through Chris Ashton, who added another in the 29th minute. Ashton's two tries, in addition to a penalty for each side, meant that the half-time score was 13–13.


2008–09 Scarlets season, EDF Energy Cup
Northampton started the second half the brighter of the two sides, and they took the lead for the first time when Bruce Reihana scored a converted try in the 45th minute. They stretched their lead midway through the half, through Sean Lamont and the boot of Stephen Myler, and, although they suffered a yellow card to James Downey, they held off a Scarlet resurgence to win 33–20 and qualify for the semi-finals.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup
The 2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the ALBA Challenge Cup due to sponsorship reasons with MG Alba, was the 18th season of the competition, competed for by all 30 members of the Scottish Football League. The defending champions were St Johnstone, who defeated Dunfermline Athletic by 3–2 in the 2007 final.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup
The competition was won by Airdrie United who defeated Ross County 3–2 on penalties following a 2–2 draw after extra time, the winning penalty was scored by Marc Smyth.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, First round
The First round draw was conducted on 29 May 2008. Holders St Johnstone were drawn against Ross County away from home.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, First round, North and East Region
Raith Rovers received a random bye to the second round.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, First round, South and West Region
Greenock Morton received a random bye to the second round.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, Second round
The Second round draw was conducted on 30 July 2008.


2008–09 Scottish Challenge Cup, Media coverage
The Partick Thistle v Airdrie United semi-final was shown live and the final was shown live on BBC Alba.


2008–09 Scottish Cup
The 2008–09 Scottish Cup was the 124th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The winners were Rangers, who defeated Falkirk in the 2009 final on 30 May 2009.


2008–09 Scottish Cup
The competition was under new sponsorship. While the SFA sponsored the tournament last season, the new sponsor was Homecoming Scotland 2009, a project from the Scottish Government to encourage Scots from all over the world to visit the country. The tournament itself was known as The Homecoming Scottish Cup


2008–09 Scottish Cup
Banks o' Dee, Bathgate Thistle, Lochee United and Pollok were the four junior clubs that entered this season.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, First round
The First Round draw was conducted at Castlehead High School, Paisley on 8 September 2008.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Second round
The Second Round draw was conducted at Lochee United's Thomson Park, Dundee on 27 September 2008.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Third round
The Third Round draw was conducted on 27 October 2008. Six matches were postponed, all because of frozen pitches. They were rescheduled for the following Saturday. However, only two of those matches were played on that day, Elgin City v Spartans and Forres Mechanics v Dalbeattie Star. The other matches were repeatedly postponed because of poor weather. The Edinburgh City v Brechin City tie was eventually played on 8 December 2008 and the Inverurie Loco Works v Vale of Leithen tie on 13 December 2008. The Lochee United v Ayr United match was played on Tuesday, 23 December 2008.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Third round
On 11 December 2008, the match between Elgin City and Spartans was ordered to be replayed after Elgin had fielded Joe Malin, a loanee from Ross County, in a 2–1 win. Malin was not registered in time for the original tie, but played in the rescheduled tie. The match was ordered to be played on 15 December. It later emerged that Spartans had also fielded an ineligible player, Dean Hoskins, after an administrative error.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Fourth round
The Fourth Round Draw was conducted on 1 December 2008. Three matches were postponed due to failed pitch inspections, The first postponement, Inverurie Loco Works v Motherwell was rescheduled for 21 January but was not played (following 2 further postponements) until 2 February, whereas the Brechin City v St Mirren and Forfar Athletic v Forres Mechanics fixtures were both scheduled and played on 13 January.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Fifth round
The Fifth Round Draw was conducted on 11 January 2009 at Hibernian's Easter Road. Three matches were postponed, the Aberdeen v East Fife match because of adverse weather in and around the city, and the Airdrie United v Dunfermline Athletic and Forfar Athletic v Rangers because of frozen pitches. All have been rescheduled for 18 February.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Quarter-finals
The Quarter-final draw was conducted on 9 February 2009 at Hampden Park.


2008–09 Scottish Cup, Semi-finals
The Semi-final draw was conducted on 8 March 2009 at Ibrox Stadium.


2008–09 Scottish First Division
The 2008–09 Scottish First Division was the fourteenth season of the First Division in its current format of ten teams.


2008–09 Scottish First Division, Results
Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season.


2008–09 Scottish First Division, First Division play-offs, Semi-finals
The ninth placed team in the First Division played the fourth placed team in the Second Division and third placed team in the Second Division played the second placed team in the Second Division. The play-offs were played over two legs, the winning team in each semi-final advanced to the final.


2008–09 Scottish First Division, First Division play-offs, Final
The two semi-final winners played each other over two legs. The winning team was awarded a place in the 2009–10 First Division.


2008–09 Scottish Football League
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by BHGbot (talk | contribs) at 00:31, 20 June 2020 (WP:BHGbot 6 (List 5): eponymous category first, per MOS:CATORDER; WP:GENFIXES). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup
The 2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup was a competition in Scottish Junior football. It was won by Auchinleck Talbot after they defeated Clydebank 2–1 in the final which had an attendance of 8,122.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup
Under a 2007 rule change, the Junior Cup winners (along with winners of the North, East and West regional leagues) qualify for the senior Scottish Cup; Auchinleck Talbot therefore competed in the 2009–10 Scottish Cup.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup, First round
These ties were scheduled to take place on Saturday, TBC.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup, Second round
These ties were scheduled to take place on Saturday, TBC.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup, Third round
These ties were scheduled to take place on Saturday, TBC


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup, Fourth round
These ties were scheduled to take place on Saturday, TBC.


2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup, Fifth round
These ties were scheduled to take place on Saturday, TBC.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup
The 2008–09 Scottish League Cup was the 63rd season of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-operative Insurance Cup. Celtic won the cup beating Rangers 2–0 after extra time thanks to a goal from Darren O'Dea and an Aiden McGeady penalty.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, First round
The First round draw was conducted at Hampden Park on 2008-07-22.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Second round
The second round draw was conducted at The Signet Library, Edinburgh on 2008-08-11.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Third round
The Third round draw was conducted at Hampden Park, Glasgow on 2008-09-01.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Quarter-finals
The quarter-final draw was conducted at Hampden Park, Glasgow on 25 September 2008.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Semi-finals
The semi-final draw was conducted at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh on 12 November 2008 by First Minister Alex Salmond, a representative of sponsors Co-operative Insurance and the Presiding Officer of the Parliament, Alex Fergusson.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Awards
A team, player and young player were chosen by the Scottish sports press as the top performers in each round.


2008–09 Scottish League Cup, Media coverage
In Australia the Scottish League Cup was available on SBS and Setanta Sports who also broadcast it in Ireland. In the UK the Scottish League Cup was broadcast on BBC Scotland and BBC Red Button.


2008–09 Scottish Premier League
The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank. It began on 9 August 2008 with a game between Falkirk and Rangers. After the 33rd round of matches, the league split in half and each team played a further five matches against the teams in their half of the league.


2008–09 Scottish Premier League
Champions Rangers qualified directly for the Champions League, while second-placed Celtic qualified for the qualifying rounds. Four teams qualified for the new Europa League: Hearts and Aberdeen via league position, Falkirk via the Scottish Cup, and Motherwell by the Fair Play initiative. Inverness were relegated after their fifth season in the SPL and were replaced by St Johnstone for the following season's competition.


2008–09 Scottish Premier League
The championship was determined on the final day of the season. Leaders Rangers travelled to Tannadice to play Dundee United knowing that a win would secure the title. They achieved this comfortably, courtesy of a 3–0 victory. The goals were scored by Kyle Lafferty, Pedro Mendes and the league's top goalscorer, Kris Boyd. Celtic needed to win their final match of the season against Hearts and hope that Rangers failed to win, but their goalless draw was rendered meaningless. It was also Rangers first title in 4 years.


2008–09 Scottish Premier League, Results, Matches 1–22
During their first 22 matches, each team played every other team home and away.


2008–09 Scottish Premier League, Results, Matches 23–33
During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).


2008–09 Scottish Premier League, Results, Matches 34–38
During matches 34–38 each team play every other team in their half of the table once.


2008–09 Scottish Second Division
The 2008–09 Scottish Second Division was the fourteenth season of the Second Division in its current format of ten teams.


2008–09 Scottish Second Division, Results
Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season.


2008–09 Scottish Second Division, Second Division play-offs, Semi-finals
The ninth placed team in the Second Division played the fourth placed team in the Third Division and third placed team in the Second Division played the second placed team in the Second Division. The play-offs were played over two legs, the winning team in each semi-final advanced to the final.


2008–09 Scottish Second Division, Second Division play-offs, Final
The two semi-final winners played each other over two legs, the home team in the 1st Leg was determined by a draw conducted on 16 April 2008. The winning team were awarded a place in the 2008–09 Second Division.


2008–09 Scottish Third Division
The 2008–09 Scottish Football League Third Division (also known as the 2008–09 Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th season in the format of ten teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The season started on 2 August 2008 and ended on 9 May 2009. Dumbarton F.C. finished top and were promoted alongside Stenhousemuir F.C. as play-off winners. Cowdenbeath F.C. were also promoted due to Livingston being demoted to the Third Division.


2008–09 Scottish Third Division, Teams for 2008–09
East Fife as champions of the 2007–08 season were directly promoted to the 2008–09 Scottish Second Division. They were replaced by Berwick Rangers who finished bottom of the 2007–08 Scottish Second Division.


2008–09 Scottish Third Division, Teams for 2008–09
A second promotion place was available via a play-off tournament between the ninth-placed team of the 2007–08 Scottish Second Division, Cowdenbeath, and the sides ranked second, third and fourth in the 2007–08 Scottish Third Division, Stranraer, Montrose and Arbroath respectively. The play off was won by Arbroath who defeated Stranraer in the final. Cowdenbeath were therefore relegated. However, due to Gretna's expulsion from the Football League, an extra promotion place was awarded, thus Stranraer as losing play-off finalists were also promoted.


2008–09 Scottish Third Division, Teams for 2008–09
Annan Athletic, formerly of the East of Scotland League, were admitted to the SFL to replace Gretna, who resigned their league status on 3 June.) The SFL voted on the matter on 3 July, with 5 clubs having put forward applications. Annan, who like Gretna are from the Dumfries and Galloway region, were chosen above other applicants Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic and Spartans.


2008–09 Scottish Third Division, Results
Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season.


2008–09 Scottish Youth Cup
The 2008–09 Scottish Youth Cup was the 26th season of the competition. The holders Rangers were defeated by under-19 league winners Hibernian in the final.


2008–09 Scunthorpe United F.C. season
During the 2008–09 English football season, Scunthorpe United F.C. competed in League One, the third tier of English football. Scunthorpe also competed in the FA Cup, Football  League Cup and Football League Trophy.


2008–09 Scunthorpe United F.C. season, Season summary
The 2008–09 season saw Scunthorpe reach Wembley twice. The Iron qualified for the Football League Trophy final, but were beaten 3–2 after extra time by Luton Town. The club then qualified for the League One play-offs through an 88th-minute equaliser by club captain Cliff Byrne against promotion rivals Tranmere Rovers on the last day of the regular season. Scunthorpe beat MK Dons on penalties after a 1–1 aggregate draw in the semi-finals, before beating Millwall in the Wembley final 3–2, with two goals from Matt Sparrow and one from Martyn Woolford, to achieve promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.


2008–09 Second League of the Republika Srpska
The 2008–09 Second League of Republika Srpska season was the fourteenth since its establishment.


2008–09 Segona Divisió
Segona Divisió 2008–09 was the 10th season of football of Segona Divisió, in Andorra.


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Sep 20]Jenlai           3–5 Atlètic[Sep 21]Lusitans B      4–1 Principat BEncamp          0–0 BenficaExtremenya       bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Sep 27]Extremenya      4–0 Jenlai[Sep 28]Benfica         2–3 Lusitans B[Sep 29]Atlètic         awd Principat B       [awarded 3–0, originally 3–4]Encamp           bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Oct 4]Jenlai          2–5 Benfica[Oct 5]Extremenya      1–3 Encamp[Oct 6]Lusitans B      1–2 AtlèticPrincipat B     bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[Oct 11]Encamp           5–0 Jenlai[Oct 12]Benfica         0–5 AtlèticPrincipat B     1–1 ExtremenyaLusitans B      bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Oct 19]Extremenya      1–6 Lusitans BAtlètic         3–4 Encamp[Oct 20] Jenlai          1–3 Principat BBenfica         bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Oct 25]Extremenya      3–0 Benfica    Encamp          3–0 Principat B    [Oct 26]Lusitans B      0–0 Jenlai        Atlètic         bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Nov 8]Atlètic         1–1 Extremenya        [Nov 9]Encamp          2–1 Lusitans B      Principat B     3–0 Benfica           Jenlai          bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Nov 22]Benfica         2–2 Encamp           [Nov 23]Atlètic         6–3 Jenlai           [Nov 24]Principat B     0–2 Lusitans B       Extremenya      bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Dec 13]Principat B     0–3 Atlètic          [Mar 21]Lusitans B      4–3 Benfica      Jenlai         1–10 Extremenya       Encamp          bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Jan 25]Encamp          3–1 Extremenya       Atlètic         3–1 Lusitans B  [Feb 8]Benfica         7–0 Jenlai        Principat B     bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[Feb 21]Atlètic         0–5 Benfica          Jenlai         1–11 Encamp            [Feb 22]Extremenya      4–1 Principat B      Lusitans B      bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Feb 28]Lusitans B      4–2 Extremenya        [Mar 1] Encamp          1–1 Atlètic      Principat B     n/p Jenlai               Benfica         bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Mar 7]Jenlai          0–7 Lusitans B          [Mar 8]     Principat B     2–8 Encamp   Benfica         1–1 Extremenya       Atlètic         bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Regular Stage, League table
[ Mar 15]    Lusitans B      2–2 Encamp  Benfica         5–0 Principat B  [Mar 16]       Extremenya      2–1 Atlètic            Jenlai          bye


2008–09 Segona Divisió, Promotion and relegation playoff
Inter Club d'Escaldes competed in a two-legged relegation play-off against Atlètic Club d'Escaldes, runners-up from Segona Divisió, for one spot in 2009–10 Primera Divisió. Inter successfully retained their Primera Divisió spot after winning on penalties 10–9.


2008–09 Segunda División
The 2008–09 Segunda División season (known from that season as Liga Adelante for sponsorship reasons) was the 78th since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 30 August 2008, and the season ended on 21 June 2009. Real Zaragoza, Real Murcia and Levante were the teams relegated from La Liga the previous season. Alicante, Girona, Huesca and Rayo Vallecano were the teams promoted from Segunda División B the previous season.


2008–09 Segunda División
The first goal of the season was scored by Alexandre Geijo, who scored in the 11th minute for Levante against Real Zaragoza in the early kick-off. The first red card of the season was given to Paco Peña from Real Murcia after a challenge on Sergio Pachón in their opening match against Rayo Vallecano. The first hat-trick was scored by Sebastián Abreu in the match between Xerez and Real Sociedad.


2008–09 Segunda División, Teams
The 2008–09 Segunda División was made up of the following teams:


2008–09 Segunda División B
The 2008–09 Segunda División B season was the 32nd since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 30 August 2008, and the season ended on 21 June 2009 with the promotion play-off finals.


2008–09 Segunda Divisão
The 2008–09 Segunda Divisão season was the 75th season of the competition and the 59th season of recognised third-tier football in Portugal.


2008–09 Segunda Divisão, Overview
The league was contested by 47 teams in 4 divisions with GD Chaves, FC Penafiel, CD Fátima and AD Carregado winning the respective divisional competitions and gaining promotion to the Liga de Honra. The overall championship was won by CD Fátima.


2008–09 Segunda Divisão, Championship Playoffs, Final
The final was played on 5 May 2009 in Águeda.


2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy
The 2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy was the inaugural edition of India's 50 over Women's Challenger Trophy. Three teams made up of the best players in India competed in a round-robin group, with the top two advancing to the final. Matches were held at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad across four days in October 2008. The tournament was won by India B, who beat India A in the final by 6 wickets.


2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy, Competition format
The three teams played in a round-robin group, playing each other team once, with the top two advancing to the final. Matches were played using a 50 over format.


2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy, Competition format
The group worked on a points system with positions with the group being based on the total points. Points were awarded as follows:


2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy, Competition format
Win: 2 points. Tie: 2 points. Loss: 0 points. No Result/Abandoned: 2 points.


2008–09 Senior Women's Challenger Trophy, Competition format
If points in the final table are equal, teams are separated by their Net Run Rate.


2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League
The 2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League was the 3rd edition of the women's List A cricket competition in India. It took place in November and December 2008, with 28 teams divided into five regional groups. Railways won the tournament, beating Maharashtra in the final, claiming their third title in three years.


2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League, Competition format
The 28 teams competing in the tournament were divided into five zonal groups: Central, East, North, South and West. The tournament operated on a round-robin format, with each team playing every other team in their group once. The top two sides from each group progressed to the Super League round, where the 10 remaining teams were divided into two further round-robin groups. The winner of each group progressed to the final. Matches were played using a 50 over format.


2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League, Competition format
The groups worked on a points system with positions with the groups being based on the total points. Points were awarded as follows:


2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League, Competition format
Win: 4 points. Tie: 2 points. Loss : –1 points. No Result/Abandoned: 2 points. Bonus Points: 1 point available per match. Consolation Points: 1 point available per match.


2008–09 Senior Women's One Day League, Competition format
If points in the final table are equal, teams are separated by most wins, then head-to-head record, then number of Bonus Points, then Net Run Rate.


2008–09 Sepahan F.C. season
This is a list of Sepahan F.C. 's results at the Persian Gulf Cup 2008-09, Hazfi Cup 2008-09 and 2009 ACL. The club is competing in the Iran Pro League, Hazfi Cup and Asian Champions League.


2008–09 Serbian Cup
The 2008–09 Serbian Cup season was the third season of the Serbian national football tournament. The competition started on 3 September 2008 and ended with the Final held on 21 May 2009. The defending champions were FK Partizan, who successfully defended their title.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Preliminary round
A preliminary round was held in order to reduce the number of teams competing in the next round to 32 and featured six teams from Serbian lower divisions. The matches were played on 3 September 2008.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Preliminary round
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Round of 32
In this round entered three winners from the previous round as well as all 12 teams from Serbian Superliga and several teams from Serbian second and third division. The matches were played on 24 September 2008.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Round of 32
1The match was played in Šid.2The match was played in Zvečan. Note : Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Round of 16
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Quarter-finals
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Semi-finals
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian Cup, Final
Note: Roman numerals in brackets denote the league tier the clubs participate in during the 2008–09 season.


2008–09 Serbian First League
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Jolicnikola (talk | contribs) at 09:20, 3 April 2020 (→League table). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2008–09 Serbian First League
The Serbian First Football League (Serbian: Prva Liga Telekom Srbija) is the second-highest football league in Serbia. The league is operated by the Serbian FA. 18 teams will compete in this league for the 2008–09 season. Five teams will be promoted to the Serbian Superliga and two will be relegated the Serbian League, the third-highest division overall in the Serbian football league system.


2008–09 Serbian Hockey League season
The Serbian Hockey League Season for 2008-2009 consisted of 16 games. HK Partizan won the regular division and the playoffs, making it their 4th title in a row.


2008–09 Serbian League Belgrade
The 2008–09 Serbian League Belgrade was the fifth season of the league under its current title. It began in August 2008 and ended in June 2009.


2008–09 Serbian League East
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Jolicnikola (talk | contribs) at 10:00, 3 April 2020 (→League table). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2008–09 Serbian League East
The 2008–09 Serbian League East season was the sixth season of the league under its current title. It began on 16 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009.


2008–09 Serbian League West
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Jolicnikola (talk | contribs) at 10:02, 3 April 2020 (→League table). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2008–09 Serbian League West
Srpska Liga West is a section of the Srpska Liga, Serbia's third-tier football league. Teams from the western part of Serbia are in this section of the league. The other sections are Srpska Liga East, Srpska Liga Vojvodina, and Srpska Liga Belgrade.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga
The 2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga season (known as the Jelen SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons) was the third since its establishment in 2006. It began on 16 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009. Partizan Belgrade successfully defended their title.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Team changes from 2007–08
FK Bežanija were relegated to the Serbian First League after finishing in 12th place. Promoted from the First League were champions FK Javor Ivanjica and runners-up FK Jagodina.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Team changes from 2007–08
FK Smederevo, having finished in 10th place, had to play a two-legged play-off against the fourth-placed team from the First League, FK Rad. Rad won 4–3 on aggregate and thus were promoted to the SuperLiga while Smederevo were also relegated.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Team changes from 2007–08
FK Mladost Lučani declined their participation for the 2008–09 season due to financial problems on 2 July 2008. The spot left behind by Mladost was given to 11th placed (second to last) FK Banat Zrenjanin by the Serbian Football Association on the basis that the club has "better sponsors and more committed community support" than the other candidate for a free spot – FK Smederevo. This drew protests from FK Smederevo management who thought that their club has a better claim to stay in SuperLiga for the 2008–09 season based on their 2007–08 league finish. They even launched an official complaint with UEFA, but the answer they got was that UEFA stands by the Serbian Football Association's decision.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Team changes from 2007–08, Future changes
At the end of the 2007–08 season several SuperLiga clubs, most notably FK Bežanija, proposed an expansion of the league from 12 to 16 teams for 2008–09. The FSS board rejected that proposal. However, it was decided that the 2009–10 season will feature 16 teams. Only one team will be directly relegated, while five First League clubs will be directly promoted.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Results
The schedule consists of three rounds. During the first two rounds, each team played each other once home and away for a total of 22 matches. The pairings of the third round were then set according to the standings after the first two rounds, giving every team a third game against each opponent for a total of 33 games per team.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Results, Third round
Key numbers for pairing determination (number marks position after 22 games):


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Awards, Player of the Year
Nenad Milijaš and Almami Moreira both received the same number of votes therefore they both share the title as co-winners.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Awards, Team of the Year
The All Star team was voted on at the end of the season by the 12 coaches of each SuperLiga team. Almami Moreira was the only player to receive all 12 votes.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Champion squad
Goalkeepers:  Mladen Božović (33)Defenders: Ivan Obradović (29); Ivan Stevanović (26/1); Srđa Knežević (24/1); Nenad Đorđević (22/1); Marko Jovanović (16); Goran Gavrančić (12); Rajko Brežančić (7);  Aleksandar Kosorić (2); Milovan Sikimić (2); Bogdan Stević (1). Midfielders: Ljubomir Fejsa (27);  Almami Moreira (27/9); Adem Ljajić (24/5); Radosav Petrović (21/1);  Juca (18/2); Nemanja Tomić (14/2);  Nikola Vujović (11/3);  Danijel Marčeta (2); Branko Mihajlović (1); Vojkan Miljković (1). Forwards: Miloš Bogunović (32/6);  Lamine Diarra (29/19);  Washington (12/4); Brana Ilić (11/2); Aleksandar Đoković (1). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Champion squad
On the roster but have not played in a league game:  Darko Božović; Aleksandar Radosavljević.


2008–09 Serbian SuperLiga, Champion squad
Transferred out during the season: Vladimir Branković (on loan to Sevojno);  Nenad Brnović (on loan to Rad);  Dragan Čadikovski (to Incheon); Đorđe Lazić (to Metalurh); Nenad Marinković (to Teleoptik); Aleksandar Miljković (to Teleoptik);  Alexis N'Gambi (to Daugava); Veljko Paunović (retired); Milan Perić (on loan to Jagodina); Zoran Tošić (to Manchester United);  Kamel Zaiem (to Al-Khor).


2008–09 Serie A
The 2008–09 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 107th season of top-tier Italian football, the 77th in a round-robin tournament. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008. 20 teams competed in the league, 17 of which returned from the previous season, and three (Chievo, Bologna and Lecce) were promoted from 2007–08 Serie B.


2008–09 Serie A
20 clubs represented 13 different regions. The most represented region was Lombardy with three teams: Atalanta, A.C. Milan, and Inter Milan. Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, Lazio and Sicily featured two teams each while Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Campania, Apulia, Calabria, and Sardinia were represented by one team each. There was a record number of southern teams in the top division with six teams: Cagliari, Catania, Lecce, Napoli, Palermo, and Reggina.


2008–09 Serie A
On 16 May 2009, Internazionale won the league by holding an unassailable lead after A.C. Milan's loss away to Udinese.