2008–09 in Belgian football

Football in Belgium
Season2008–09
← 2007–08 Belgium 2009–10 →

The 2008–09 football season in Belgium, which is the 106th season of competitive football in the country.

Honours

Competition Winner
First division Standard Liège
Second division Sint-Truiden
Third division A Wetteren
Third division B Turnhout
Promotion A Coxyde
Promotion B Temse
Promotion C Heist
Promotion D Bleid
Cup Genk
Supercup Standard Liège

League competitions

Belgian First Division

Main article: 2008–09 Belgian First Division
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Standard Liège (C) 34 24 5 5 66 26 +40 77[a] Qualification to Champions League group stage
2 Anderlecht 34 24 5 5 75 30 +45 77[a] Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round
3 Club Brugge 34 18 5 11 59 50 +9 59 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round
4 Gent 34 17 8 9 67 42 +25 59 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
5 Zulte Waregem 34 16 7 11 55 36 +19 55
6 Westerlo 34 15 7 12 42 38 +4 52
7 Lokeren 34 13 12 9 40 32 +8 51
8 Genk 34 15 5 14 48 51 −3 50 Qualification to Europa League play-off round[b]
9 Cercle Brugge 34 14 5 15 48 53 −5 47
10 Mechelen 34 12 10 12 46 52 −6 46
11 Mouscron 34 12 8 14 42 49 −7 44
12 Charleroi 34 12 7 15 43 48 −5 43
13 Germinal Beerschot 34 11 9 14 44 42 +2 42
14 Kortrijk 34 9 11 14 37 55 −18 38
15 Dender (R) 34 9 8 17 44 58 −14 35 Qualification to the Relegation play-offs
16 Roeselare (O) 34 8 6 20 33 59 −26 30
17 Tubize (R) 34 7 6 21 35 77 −42 27 Relegation to 2009–10 Belgian Second Division
18 Mons (R) 34 3 10 21 31 57 −26 19
Source: soccerway.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) number of matches won; if teams are still tied a playoff is organised.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b The championship was decided in a playoff (see below).
  2. ^ Genk qualified for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League by winning the 2008–09 Belgian Cup.

Belgian Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Sint-Truiden (C, P) 36 24 8 4 72 29 +43 80 Belgian First Division
2 Lierse (P) 36 22 9 5 75 40 +35 75 Belgian Second Division final round
3 Antwerp 36 17 10 9 55 32 +23 61
4 Waasland 36 16 7 13 56 48 +8 55
5 Tournai 36 14 12 10 53 41 +12 54
6 Tienen 36 14 11 11 58 49 +9 53
7 Oostende 36 13 14 9 54 51 +3 53
8 Ronse 36 15 7 14 54 52 +2 52
9 KVSK United 36 14 9 13 48 38 +10 51
10 Brussels 36 12 13 11 50 37 +13 49
11 RFC Liège 36 11 15 10 49 48 +1 48
12 OH Leuven 36 12 10 14 46 48 −2 46
13 Beveren 36 11 12 13 47 57 −10 45
14 Eupen 36 12 7 17 47 63 −16 43
15 Olympic Charleroi (R) 36 10 9 17 48 65 −17 39 Relegation to Belgian Third Division final round
16 Virton (R) 36 9 12 15 46 58 −12 39
17 Hamme (R) 36 9 9 18 48 64 −16 36
18 Deinze (R) 36 7 15 14 46 65 −19 36 Relegation to Belgian Third Division
19 UR Namur (R) 36 2 7 27 22 89 −67 13
Source: Belgian Second Division
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) number of matches won; if teams are still tied a playoff is organised.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

European Club Results

Note that the Belgian team's score is given first

As Cercle Brugge did not desire to play in the Intertoto Cup, Germinal Beerschot took their place but where immediately eliminated. Anderlecht suffered a painful defeat to BATE Borisov in the second qualification round of the Champions League, which did not even send them into the UEFA Cup. Gent also performed weak, losing immediately in their first match. Club Brugge got into the group stage but after drawing in every match against mostly weaker opponents, they finally succumbed at home to Copenhagen. Champions Standard Liège however provided stunning football as they came very close to keeping Liverpool out of the Champions League and then dropped into the UEFA Cup where they beat teams such as Everton, Sevilla, Partizan and Sampdoria before eventually going out against Braga in the last 16.

Date Team Competition Round Leg Opponent Location Score
July 5 or 6 Germinal Beerschot Intertoto Cup Round 2 Leg 1, Home Azerbaijan Neftchi Baku Het Kiel, Antwerp 1–1
July 12 or 13 Germinal Beerschot Intertoto Cup Round 2 Leg 2, Away Azerbaijan Neftchi Baku Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku 0–1
July 29 or 30 Anderlecht Champions League Qual. Round 2 Leg 1, Home Belarus BATE Borisov Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht 1–2
August 5 or 6 Anderlecht Champions League Qual. Round 2 Leg 2, Away Belarus BATE Borisov Haradzki Stadium, Barysaw 2–2
August 12 or 13 Standard Liège Champions League Qual. Round 3 Leg 1, Home England Liverpool Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège 0–0
August 14 Gent UEFA Cup Qual. Round 2 Leg 1, Home Sweden Kalmar FF Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent 2–1
August 21 Gent UEFA Cup Qual. Round 2 Leg 2, Away Sweden Kalmar FF Fredriksskans, Kalmar 0–4
August 26 or 27 Standard Liège Champions League Qual. Round 3 Leg 2, Away England Liverpool Anfield, Liverpool 0–1 (aet)
September 18 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Round 1 Leg 1, Away Switzerland Young Boys Stade de Suisse, Bern 2–2
September 18 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Round 1 Leg 1, Away England Everton Goodison Park, Liverpool 2–2
October 2 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Round 1 Leg 2, Home Switzerland Young Boys Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges 2–0
October 2 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Round 1 Leg 2, Home England Everton Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège 2–1
October 23 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 1, Away Norway Rosenborg Lerkendal stadion, Trondheim 0–0
November 6 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 1, Home Spain Sevilla Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège 1–0
November 27 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 2, Home France Saint-Étienne Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges 1–1
November 27 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 2, Away Serbia Partizan Partizan Stadium, Belgrade 1–0
December 3 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 3, Home Italy Sampdoria Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège 3–0
December 4 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 3, Away Spain Valencia Estadio Mestalla, Valencia 1–1
December 17 Club Brugge UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 4, Home Denmark Copenhagen Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges 0–1
December 18 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Group Stage Match 4, Away Germany Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart 0–3
February 18 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Round of 32 Leg 1, Home Portugal Braga Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga 0–3
February 26 Standard Liège UEFA Cup Round of 32 Leg 2, Away Portugal Braga Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège 1–1

European qualification for 2008–09 summary

Competition Qualifiers Reason for Qualification
UEFA Champions League Standard Liège 1st in Jupiler League
UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round for Non-Champions Anderlecht 2nd in Jupiler League
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Club Brugge 3rd in Jupiler League
UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round Gent 4th in Jupiler League
UEFA Europa League Fourth Qualifying Round Genk Cup winner

See also

References