2008–09 La Liga


The 2008–09 La Liga season was the 78th since its establishment. Real Madrid were the defending champions, having won their 31st La Liga title in the previous season. The campaign began on 30 August 2008, and concluded on 31 May 2009. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2007–08 season, and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División. A new match ball – the Nike T90 Omni – served as the official ball for all matches.
On 16 May 2009, following Villarreal's 3–2 victory over Real Madrid, Barcelona were declared champions, winning their 19th La Liga title, with three matches to play. Barcelona's Lionel Messi received the inaugural La Liga Award for Best Player from the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional.

Promotion and relegation

Real Zaragoza, Real Murcia and Levante were relegated to the 2008–09 Segunda División after finishing in the bottom three spots of the table at the end of the 2007–08 La Liga. Zaragoza were relegated to the Segunda División after five seasons of continuous membership in the top football league of Spain; Levante returned in Segunda División after two-year tenured in La Liga; and Murcia made their immediate return to the second level.
The three relegated teams were replaced by three 2007–08 Segunda División sides. Champions Numancia, who ended their second-level status after three years, runners-up Málaga, who returned to the top flight after two season in the second level, and Sporting de Gijón returned to the highest Spanish league after ten years.

Team information

Stadia and locations

TeamVenueCapacity
AlmeríaEstadio del Mediterráneo22,000
Athletic BilbaoSan Mamés39,750
Atlético MadridVicente Calderón54,851
BarcelonaCamp Nou98,772
BetisManuel Ruiz de Lopera52,132
DeportivoRiazor34,600
EspanyolEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys55,926
GetafeColiseum Alfonso Pérez16,300
MálagaLa Rosaleda35,530
MallorcaONO Estadi23,142
NumanciaLos Pajaritos9,700
OsasunaEstadio Reyno de Navarra19,553
Racing SantanderEl Sardinero22,400
Real MadridSantiago Bernabéu80,354
RecreativoNuevo Colombino21,600
SevillaRamón Sánchez Pizjuán45,500
SportingEl Molinón25,885
ValenciaMestalla55,000
ValladolidEstadio José Zorrilla26,512
VillarrealEl Madrigal23,000

Personnel and sponsoring

  • Barcelona had no shirt sponsor during the 2008–09 season. Instead, following the signing of a five-year agreement with the humanitarian organisation UNICEF in 2006, the club sported the UNICEF logo on the front of its jersey while making an annual donation to the organisation.

League table



Awards

La Liga Awards

For the first time in La Liga's history, its governing body, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, honoured the competition's best players and coach with the La Liga Awards.
AwardRecipient
Best Player

Pichichi Trophy

The Pichichi Trophy is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in a season.
RankPlayerClubGoals
1

Zamora Trophy

The Ricardo Zamora Trophy is awarded by newspaper Marca to the goalkeeper with the lowest ratio of goals conceded to matches played. A goalkeeper had to play at least 28 matches of 60 or more minutes to be eligible for the trophy.
RankPlayerClubGoals
against		MatchesAverage
1

Top assists

  • Source:

Fair Play award

RankClubPoints
1Barcelona98
2Deportivo La Coruña102
3Villarreal110
4Recreativo Huelva113
5Valladolid114
6Numancia131
6Valencia131
8Almería132
9Getafe133
10Espanyol134
11Mallorca135
12Atlético Madrid136
12Sevilla136
14Málaga139
15Osasuna148
15Real Madrid148
17Athletic Bilbao149
18Racing Santander164
19Real Betis165
20Sporting Gijón183

  • Source: 2008–09 Fair Play Rankings Season.

Scoring

Luis García for Espanyol against Valladolid
  • Last goal of the season:
Ricardo Oliveira for Real Betis against Valladolid

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDateReference

Discipline

Attendances

Source:
No.ClubAverageChangeHighest
1FC Barcelona71,947-5.6%79,500
2Real Madrid CF71,3285.6%98,700
3Atlético de Madrid44,605-1.4%57,500
4Sevilla FC41,5074.9%45,500
5Valencia CF38,263-6.0%50,000
6Real Betis37,137-0.8%50,000
7Athletic Club35,000-3.5%40,000
8Málaga CF24,84924.2%30,000
9RCD Espanyol23,8329.0%35,000
10Real Sporting de Gijón22,94536.8%25,000
11Villarreal CF19,159-1.2%25,000
12Real Racing Club de Santander18,5555.9%22,200
13Deportivo de La Coruña18,3162.9%34,000
14CA Osasuna17,8233.5%19,031
15Real Valladolid17,417-1.2%23,600
16Recreativo de Huelva16,334-6.0%19,000
17RCD Mallorca15,184-14.9%22,000
18UD Almería12,715-18.3%18,000
19Getafe CF10,500-1.5%16,000
20CD Numancia8,09660.4%9,500