2008–09 Argentine Primera División season

Format

The format for the 2008-09 season remained unchanged. The season is split into two tournaments called Apertura and Clausura. Each tournament is contested by the same 20 teams in a single round-robin format. The champion of each tournament is determined by points. Should the tops teams be tied at points at the end of each tournament, a playoff is held at a neutral site. Relegation is determined at the end of the season.

Promotion and relegation

Olimpo and San Martín (San Juan) were relegated at the end of the 2007–08 Primera División season. They were replaced by Godoy Cruz and San Martín de Tucumán, both of whom were promoted from the Primera B Nacional.

Gimnasia (Jujuy) and Racing played the relegation/promotion playoffs against Unión and Belgrano, respectively. Both Gimnasia (Jujuy) and Racing won their playoff matches and retained their status in top-flight football.

Managerial changes

This is a list of the managerial changes in the Primera División made during the season.

Torneo Apertura

The Torneo Apertura (English: Opening Tournament) was played between August 6 to December 14, 2008. The champion earned a spot in the 2009 Copa Libertadores.

Standings

Updated to games played on December 14, 2008.
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference; 6th head-to-head goals scored. This does not apply to defining the champion. If two or more teams are tied in point at the end of the tournament, a playoff will be held at a neutral venue within 72 hours for the championship
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Updated to games played on December 14, 2008.
Source: RSSSF
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Championship playoff

Since San Lorenzo, Tigre and Boca Juniors ended the tournament with the same number of points, a three-way playoff was played to determine the champion.

Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Top-ten goalscorers

Updated as of games played on December 14, 2008.
Source: Scorer Stats (Spanish)

Torneo Clausura

The Torneo Clausura (English: Closing Tournament) began on February 6, 2009 and ended on July 5, 2009. The champion earned a spot in the 2010 Copa Libertadores.

Standings

Source: AFA
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference; 6th head-to-head goals scored. This does not apply to defining the champion. If two or more teams are tied in point at the end of the tournament, a playoff will be held at a neutral venue within 72 hours for the championship
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Updated to games played on July 5, 2009.
Source: RSSSF
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top-ten goalscorers

Updated as of games played on July 5, 2009.
Source: AFA

Relegation

Relegation from the Primera Division is determined on the basis of performance over the last three seasons. Every club has its points earned divided by the number of matches played and an average (Spanish: promedio) is determined. The clubs who finish in 17th and 18th play a relegation play-off against the 3rd and 4th placed clubs in Primera B Nacional. The clubs who finish in 19th and 20th are directly relegated to Primera B Nacional.

Updated as of July 5, 2009; Source:AFA

Relegation/promotion playoffs

Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) remains in the Argentine First Division after a 3 - 3 aggregate tie by virtue of a "sports advantage". In case of a tie in goals, the team from the First Division gets to stay in it. Rosario Central wins 2-1 and stays in the Argentine First Division, while Belgrano does not get promoted and remains in Argentine Nacional B.

Copa Libertadores

The Apertura champion qualifies to the 2009 Copa Libertadores and the Clausura champion qualifies to the 2010 Copa Libertadores. The last two Argentina spots for the 2009 Copa Libertadores were determined by the sum of all points obtained in the past three tournaments.

1. Boca Juniors qualified as the 2008 Apertura champion.
2. Lanus qualified as the 2007 Apertura champion.
3. River Plate qualified as the 2008 Clausura champion.

Copa Sudamericana

Qualification for the 2009 Copa Sudamericana is determined from an aggregate table of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. The top four teams in the aggregate table qualify; Boca Juniors and River Plate were invited every year till this season, regardless of their standings in the season.

Source: AFA
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th head-to-head goals
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.