2008 in association football

Events

20 January to 10 February: Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana

4 May to 16 May: UEFA U-17 Championship in Turkey

7 June to 29 June: Euro 2008 held in Austria and Switzerland

6 August to 24 August: Men's and Women's Football Tournaments at the Beijing Olympics

30 October to 16 November: Inauguration of FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup held In New Zealand

20 November to 7 December: 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile

January

3 – Argentine midfielder Éver Banega leaves Boca Juniors and joins the Spanish club Valencia for an estimated fee of €18 million.

5 – Everton are knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Oldham Athletic, a team from Football League One (third division) as Huddersfield Town from the same division beat Birmingham City.

6 – Toulouse are eliminated from the Coupe de France by Paris FC, a team from the Championnat National (third division).

9 – Sam Allardyce leaves the manager's position at Newcastle United by mutual agreement.

11 – Jürgen Klinsmann is unveiled as the new coach of Bayern Munich, effective July.

20 – The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Ghana with the hosts beating Guinea 2–1.

23 – Tottenham Hotspur defeat Arsenal 5–1 in the semi-final second-leg of the League Cup. This was the first time they had beaten their local rivals since 1999.

24 – George Burley is announced as the new coach of the Scotland national football team.

28 – Mohamed Sissoko leaves Liverpool to sign for Juventus, costing the Italian team €13 million.

February

2 – Frédéric Kanouté is named 2007 African Footballer of the Year

4 – Víctor Muñoz is sacked from the managers job of Spanish team Recreativo Huelva; Manolo Zambrano is immediately installed as the new coach of the La Liga team.

10 – Egypt win the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Cameroon in the final 1–0.

13 – Giovanni Trapattoni is announced as the new coach of the Republic of Ireland. He will officially take up this role in May.

23 – South Korean men's team won East Asian Cup 2008.

23 – Japanese J. League Cup winner Gamba Osaka defeated MLS champion Houston Dynamo at the final game of Pan-Pacific Championship 2008 by 6-1, won the champion title of inaugural tournament. The Los Angeles Galaxy won the third place match against Sydney FC from A-league by 2–1.

24 – Japan won the Women's East Asian Cup 2008 with three straight wins over South Korea, North Korea, and China.

24 – Tottenham Hotspur win the Football League Cup after beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium.

24 – Newcastle Jets win the Hyundai A-League Grand Final by defeating the Central Coast Mariners by 1–0 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

March

11 – Newport County win the FAW Premier Cup beating Llanelli 1–0 in the final.

12 – The United States women's national soccer team wins the 2008 Algarve Cup for the sixth time, beating Denmark 2–1 in the final.

16 – Rangers win the Scottish League Cup by beating Dundee United 3–2 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw at Hampden Park.

May

5 – Real Madrid wins the 31st La Liga title after beating Osasuna 2-1.

8 – Announced that Frank Rijkaard would leave his managerial post at Barcelona at the end of the season, to be replaced by Barcelona B coach Pep Guardiola.

11 – Manchester United wins its tenth Premier League title after beating Wigan Athletic 2–0 away.

17 – Portsmouth wins the 127th FA Cup after beating Cardiff City 1–0 at Wembley Stadium

21 – Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League after beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes in Moscow

22 – Celtic win the SPL title for the third successive season by three points from Rangers on the final day.

24 – Avram Grant is sacked as Chelsea manager after just eight months in charge of the Premier League club.

June

2 – José Mourinho replaces Roberto Mancini as manager of Inter Milan

25 – LDU Quito won the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final beating Fluminense 4–2.

29 – Spain wins UEFA Euro 2008 after beating Germany 1–0 in the final.

July

1 – Luiz Felipe Scolari becomes the new manager of Chelsea.

2 – LDU Quito wins the Copa Libertadores beating Fluminense in penalties 3–1 after a 5–5 aggregate draw.

August

8 – Scottish Premier League team Gretna are formally liquidated.

21 – United States women's team win gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics

23 – Argentina's men's team win gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics

September

1 – Manchester City sign Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record fee of £32.5 million

1 – Manchester United sign Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75 million.

4 – Kevin Keegan resigns as manager of Newcastle United.

AFC nations

A-League: Newcastle Jets

Bahraini Premier League: Muharraq Club

Chinese Super League: Shandong Luneng

Hong Kong First Division League: South China

I-League: Dempo SC

Persian Gulf Cup: Persepolis F.C.

J. League: Kashima Antlers

K-League: Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Lebanese Premier League: Al Ahed

Saudi Premier League: Al-Hilal

Filipino Premier League: Philippine Army F.C.

Malaysian Super League: Kedah FA

Qatar Stars League: Al-Gharafa Sports Club

S-League: Singapore Armed Forces Football Club

Thailand Premier League: Provincial Electricity Authority FC

Turkmenistan Higher League: FC Aşgabat

Enterprise Football League: Taipower

UAE Football League: Al-Shabab

Uzbek League: Bunyodkor

V-League: Becamex Bình Dương

UEFA nations

Albanian Superliga: Dinamo Tirana

Campionat de Lliga: Santa Coloma

Armenian Premier League: Pyunik

Austrian Bundesliga: Rapid Wien

Azerbaijan Premier League: Inter Baku

Belarusian Premier League: BATE Borisov

Belgian Pro League: Standard Liège

Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Modriča

Bulgarian A PFG: CSKA Sofia

Prva HNL: Dinamo Zagreb

Cypriot First Division: Anorthosis Famagusta

Gambrinus Liga: Slavia Prague

Danish Superliga: Aalborg BK

Premier League: Manchester United

Meistriliiga: Levadia Tallinn

Formuladeildin: EB/Streymur

Veikkausliiga: Inter Turku

Ligue 1: Lyon

Umaglesi Liga: Dinamo Tbilisi

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich

Superleague Greece: Olympiacos

Hungarian National Championship I: MTK Budapest

Úrvalsdeild: FH Hafnarfjörður

League of Ireland Premier Division: Bohemian

Ligat ha'Al: Beitar Jerusalem

Serie A: Inter Milan

Kazakhstan Premier League: Aktobe

Latvian Higher League: Ventspils

A Lyga: Ekranas

Luxembourg National Division: F91 Dudelange

Macedonian Prva Liga: Rabotnički

Maltese Premier League: Valletta

Moldovan National Division: Sheriff Tiraspol

Montenegrin First League: Budućnost Podgorica

Eredivisie: PSV

Irish Premier League: Linfield

Norwegian Premier League: Stabæk

Ekstraklasa: Wisła Kraków

Primeira Liga: Porto

Liga I: CFR Cluj

Russian Premier League: Rubin Kazan

Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio: Murata

Scottish Premier League: Celtic

Serbian Superliga: Partizan

Slovak Superliga: Artmedia Bratislava

Slovenian PrvaLiga: TNK Domžale

La Liga: Real Madrid

Allsvenskan: Kalmar

Swiss Super League: Basel

Süper Lig: Galatasaray

Ukrainian Premier League: Shakhtar Donetsk

Welsh Premier League: Llanelli

CAF nations

Algerian Championnat National: JS Kabylie

Girabola: Petro Atlético Luanda

Mascom Premier League: Centre Chiefs

Burkinabé Premier League: Etoile Filante Ouagadougou

Burundi Premier League: Inter Star

MTN Elite one: Cotonsport Garoua

Cape Verdean football Championships: Sporting Clube da Praia

Chad Premier League: Elect Sport N'Djamena

Comoros Premier League: Etoile d'Or

Congo Premier League: CARA Brazzaville

Linafoot: DC Motema Pembe

Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division: Africa Sports National

Djibouti Premier League: Société Immobilière de Djibouti

Egyptian Premier League: Al-Ahly

Eritrean Premier League: Asmara Brewery

Ethiopian Premier League: Saint-George SA

Gabon Championnat National D1: AS Mangasport

Gambian Championnat National D1: Wallidan

OneTouch Premier League: Asante Kotoko

Guinée Championnat National: Fello Star

Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau: Sporting Clube de Batafá

Kenyan Premier League: Mathare United

Lesotho Premier League: Lesotho Correctional Services

Liberian Premier League: Black Star

Libyan Premier League: Al Ittihad

THB Champions League: Académie Ny Antsika

Malawi Premier Division: Silver Strikers

Malien Première Division: Djoliba

Mauritanean Premier League: ASAC Concorde

Mauritian League: Curepipe Starlight

Botola: FAR Rabat

Moçambola: Ferroviario de Maputo

Namibia Premier League: Orlando Pirates Windhoek

Niger Premier League: AS Police

Nigerian Premier League: Kano Pillars

Réunion Premier League: JS Saint-Pierroise

Rwandan Premier League: ATRACO

Senegal Premier League: AS Douanes

Seychelles League: Saint-Michel United

Sierra Leone National Premier League: Ports Authority F.C.

Somalia League: Elman FC

Premier Soccer League: SuperSport United

Sudan Premier League: Al-Merrikh

Swazi Premier League: Royal Leopards

Tanzanian Premier League: Young Africans

Tunisian CLP-1: Club Africain

Ugandan Super League: Kampala City Council

Zambian Premier League: ZESCO United

Zanzibar Premier League: Miembeni

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League: Monomotapa United

CONMEBOL nations

Primera División Argentina: River Plate (C) / Boca Juniors (A)

Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano: Universitario (A) / Aurura (C)

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: São Paulo

Primera División de Chile: Everton (A) / Colo-Colo (C)

Colombian Professional Football: Boyacá Chicó (A) / América de Cali (C)

Serie A de Ecuador: Deportivo Quito

Primera División de Paraguay: Libertad (A) (C)

Primera División Peruana: U. San Martín

Primera División Uruguaya: Defensor Sporting

Primera División Venezolana: Deportivo Táchira

(A = Apertura, C= Clausura)

CONCACAF nations

BFA Senior League: IM Bears

Digicel Premiere League: Notre Date Sports Club

Belize Premier Football League: Hankook Verdes

Bermudian Premier Division: PHC Zebras

British Virgin Islands Championship: Islanders

Canadian Soccer League: Trois-Rivières Attak

Cayman Islands League: Scholars International

Primera División de Costa Rica: Saprissa (A) (C)

Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba: Cienfuegos

Dominica Championship: Centre Bath Estate

Primera División del Savaldor: Firpo (C) / Isidro Metapán (A)

Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala: Comunicaciones (C) (A)

Grenada League: Carib Hurricane

Ligue Haïtienne: Racing Gonaïves (C) / Tempête (A)

Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras: Marathón (C) / Olimpia (A)

National Premier League: Portmore United

Primera División de México: Santos Laguna (C) / Toluca (A)

Nevis Premier Division: SL Horsford Highlights

Primera División de Nicaragua: Real Estelí

Liga Panameña de Fútbol: Árabe Unido (C) / San Francisco (A)

Puerto Rico Soccer League: Sevilla

Saint Kitts Premier Division: Newtown United

Saint Lucia Premier Division: Aux Lyons United

NLA Premier League: Avenues United

Sint Maarten League: D&P Connection

Surinamese Hoofdklasse: Inter Moengotapoe

TT Pro League: San Juan Jabloteh

MFL League: Beaches

Major League Soccer: Columbus Crew

US Virgin Islands Championship: Positive Vibes

(A = Apertura, C= Clausura)

OFC nations

Football Federation American Samoa Soccer League: Pago Youth

Cook Islands Round Cup: Nikao Sokattack

Fijian National Football League: Ba

FSMFA Top League: Yap

Kiribati National Championship: competition canceled

New Caledonia Division Honneur: AS Magenta

ASB Premiership: Waitakere United

Niue Soccer Tournament: Talava

Norfolk Island Soccer League: unknown

Palau Soccer League: Surangel & Sons Company

Papua New Guinea National Soccer League: PRK Hekari United

Samoa National League: Sinamoga

Solomon Islands National Club Championship: Koloale

Tahiti Division Fédérale: AS Manu-Ura

Tonga Major League: Lotoha'apai

Tuvalu A-Division: Nauti

Vanuatu Premia Divisen: Tafea

International tournaments

2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana (20 January – 10 February 2008)

1.  Egypt
2.  Cameroon
3.  Ghana
4.  Ivory Coast

Men's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing, China (17 February – 23, 2008)

1.  South Korea
2.  Japan
3.  China PR
4.  North Korea

Women's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing, China (18 February – 24, 2008)

1.  Japan
2.  North Korea
3.  China PR
4.  South Korea

2008 Algarve Cup in Algarve, Portugal (5 March – 12, 2008)

1.  United States
2.  Denmark
3.  Norway
4.  Germany

2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament in Nashville, United States (11 March – 23, 2008)

1.  Honduras
2.  United States
3.  Canada
4.  Guatemala

2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Turkey (4 May – 16, 2008)

1.  Spain
2.  France
3.  Turkey and  Netherlands

2008 UEFA European Football Championship in Austria and Switzerland (7 June – 29, 2008)

1.  Spain
2.  Germany
3.  Turkey and  Russia

Baltic Cup in Riga, Latvia (May 30 – June 1, 2008)

1.  Latvia
2.  Lithuania
3.  Estonia

2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament in China (6 August – 21, 2008)

1.  United States
2.  Brazil
3.  Germany

2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament in China (7 August – 23, 2008)

1.  Argentina
2.  Nigeria
3.  Brazil

2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand (30 October – 16 November 2008)

1.  North Korea
2.  United States
3.  Germany

2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile (20 November – 7 December 2008)

1.  United States
2.  North Korea
3.  Germany

2008 AFF Suzuki Cup in Indonesia and Vietnam (5 – 28 December 2008)

1.  Vietnam
2.  Thailand
3.  Indonesia, Singapore

January

1 January – Božidar Sandić (85), Serbian footballer, Yugoslavia international

4 January – Vyacheslav Ambartsumyan (67), Russian footballer, Soviet Union international

4 January – Bjørn Odmar Andersen (64), Norwegian international footballer and manager

5 January – Louis Hon (83), French international footballer

9 January – Paul Aimson (64), English footballer

11 January – Frank Loughran (77), Australian international footballer

12 January – Leszek Jezierski (78), Polish footballer and manager

13 January – Seyran Osipov (46), Russian footballer

14 January – Kaj Christiansen (86), Danish international footballer and manager

14 January – Johnny Steele (91), English footballer and manager

18 January – Wally Fielding (88), English footballer

21 January – Billy Elliott (82), English international footballer

24 January – Jorge Recio (66), Argentine international footballer

26 January – Celestino Celio (82), Italian international footballer and manager

27 January – Bengt Lindskog (74), Swedish international footballer

28 January – Eleuterio Santos (67), Spanish international footballer

February

1 February – Władysław Kawula (70), Polish footballer

2 February – Yiu Cheuk Yin (80), Hong Kong footballer

9 February – Guy Tchingoma (22), Gabonese footballer

10 February – Ove Jørstad (37), Norwegian footballer

12 February – Jean Prouff (88), French footballer and manager

12 February – Thomas Grosser (42), German footballer

14 February – Len Boyd (84), English footballer

15 February – Inge Thun (62), Norwegian footballer

17 February – Brian Harris (72), English footballer and manager

21 February – Emmanuel Sanon (56), Haitian footballer

March

2 March – Carl Hoddle (40), English footballer

5 March – Derek Dooley (78), English footballer and manager

25 March – Thierry Gilardi (49), French commentator

April

3 April – Hrvoje Ćustić (24), Croatian footballer

5 April – Wang Donglei (23), Chinese footballer

18 April – Erminio Favalli (64), Italian footballer

19 April – Constant Vanden Stock (93), Belgian footballer, manager, and executive

May

8 May – François Sterchele (26), Belgian footballer

10 May – Eusebio Ríos (73), Spanish footballer and manager

15 May – Tommy Burns (51), Scottish former footballer and manager

23 May – Heinrich Kwiatkowski (81), German footballer

June

6 June – Victor Wégria (71), Belgian footballer

11 June – Adam Ledwoń (34), Polish footballer

22 June – Ron Stitfall (82), Welsh footballer

July

13 July – Rudolf Nafziger (62), German footballer

15 July – Gionata Mingozzi (23), Italian footballer

18 July – George Niven (79), Scottish footballer

August

3 August – Anton Allemann (72), Swiss footballer

September

3 September – Joan Segarra (80), Spanish defender

4 September – Tommy Johnston (81), Scottish footballer

25 September – Jimmy Sirrel (86), Scottish football player and manager

October

October 8 - Chicão, Brazilian midfielder, semi-finalist at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. (59)

October 21 - George Edwards (87), Welsh footballer

October 25 - Ian McColl (81), Scottish football player and manager

November

1 November – Dermot Curtis (76), Irish football player and manager

17 November – Peter Aldis (81), English footballer

27 November – Gil Heron (87), Jamaican footballer

December

8 December – John Cumming (78), Scottish footballer

9 December – Dražan Jerković (72), Croatian football player and manager

9 December – Ibrahim Dossey (36), Ghanaian footballer

12 December – Maksym Pashayev (20), Ukrainian footballer