Season 2008–09 Europa League VojvodinaRed Star Location Serbia Goals scored 420 | Average goals/game 2.12 Dates 16 Aug 2008 – 30 May 2009 | |
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Champions Partizan2nd SuperLiga title21st domestic title People also search for | ||
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.
Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
League table
Source: soccerway.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1Because cup winners Partizan qualified for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, the losing cup finalists, First League club Sevojno, qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Therefore, league runners-up will qualify for the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
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.
First and second round
Source: soccerway.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
2The game of Round 13 was awarded to Rad with a score of 3–0 because Čukarički !Čukarički had been suspended by the league committee over unpaid debts to former player Mirko Poledica.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Third round
Key numbers for pairing determination (number marks position after 22 games):
Source: soccerway.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
2The match was registered with a score of 0–3 due to Borac's use of ineligible player.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top scorers
Source: superliga.rs
Player of the Year
Nenad Milijaš and Almami Moreira both received the same amount of votes therefore they both share the title as co-winners.
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.