2008–09 Ligue 1

The 2008–09 Ligue 1 season was the 71st since its establishment. Bordeaux became champions for the sixth time on the last weekend of the season. The fixtures were announced on 23 May 2008. The season began on 9 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009. A total of 20 teams contested the league, consisting of 17 who competed the previous season and three that were promoted from France's second division Ligue 2.
Bordeaux consecutively won their last 11 league games of the season and clinched the title on 30 May 2009 after the 1–0 victory against Caen. This was Bordeaux's sixth title and their first since the 1998–99 season. Bordeaux's title victory ended a historic run for Lyon, who had won seven consecutive titles beginning with the 2001–02 season. Le Havre, Nantes and Caen were relegated to Ligue 2. Both Le Havre and Nantes were promoted from Ligue 2 last season. Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Lille all secured European football for the 2009–10 season through their league position.

Teams

Promotion and relegation

RC Lens, RC Strasbourg and FC Metz were relegated to the 2008–09 Ligue 2 after finishing in the bottom three spots of the table at the end of the 2007–08 season. Lens were relegated to the Ligue 2 after 17 seasons of continuous membership in the top football league of France, while Strasbourg and Metz made their immediate return to the second level.
The three relegated teams were replaced by three 2007–08 Ligue 2 sides. Champions Le Havre, who terminated their second-level status after five years, runners-up FC Nantes, who returned to the top flight after one season in second level and Grenoble Foot 38 returned to highest French league for first time after 35 years.

Stadia and locations

Club	Location	Venue	Capacity
	Auxerre	Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps	24,493
	Bordeaux	Stade Chaban-Delmas	34,327
	Caen	Stade Michel d'Ornano	21,500
	Grenoble	Stade des Alpes	20,000
	Le Havre	Stade Jules Deschaseaux	16,454
	Le Mans	Stade Léon-Bollée	17,500
	Villeneuve d'Ascq	Stadium Lille-Metropole	21,803
	Lorient	Stade du Moustoir	16,669
	Lyon	Stade de Gerland	43,051
	Marseille	Stade Vélodrome	60,031
	Fontvieille	Stade Louis II	18,500
	Tomblaine	Stade Marcel Picot	20,087
	Nantes	Stade de la Beaujoire	38,285
	Nice	Stade du Ray	17,415
	Paris	Parc des Princes	48,712
	Rennes	Stade de la Route de Lorient	31,127
	Saint-Étienne	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard	35,616
	Montbéliard	Stade Auguste Bonal	20,025
	Toulouse	Stadium Municipal	35,672
	Valenciennes	Stade Nungesser	16,547

League table

Season statistics

Top goalscorers

Source:
André-Pierre Gignac won the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur.

Rank

Player

Club

Goals

Awards

Annual awards

Here are shown the nominees for Ligue 1 annual awards. The winners, displayed in bold, were determined at the annual UNFP Awards on 24 May 2009.

Team of the Year

Attendances

Source:

No.	Club	Average attendance	Change	Highest
1	Olympique de Marseille	52,276	-0.6%	56,953
2	Paris Saint-Germain FC	40,902	10.7%	45,774
3	Olympique lyonnais	37,395	0.3%	40,245
4	AS Saint-Étienne	28,171	-3.7%	34,734
5	Girondins de Bordeaux	26,963	5.8%	32,858
6	FC Nantes	24,138	6.0%	35,993
7	Stade rennais	24,063	-6.2%	28,879
8	Toulouse FC	20,090	-0.4%	33,572
9	SM Caen	18,914	-3.8%	20,924
10	AS Nancy	18,001	-4.0%	20,017
11	LOSC	17,911	3.9%	78,056
12	Grenoble Foot 38	17,217	72.2%	19,648
13	FC Sochaux	14,660	-8.0%	19,972
14	Le Havre AC	13,568	16.6%	16,378
15	AJ auxerroise	12,914	21.9%	20,002
16	Valenciennes FC	12,866	-6.8%	16,192
17	FC Lorient	11,401	-7.3%	14,621
18	OGC Nice	10,631	-5.8%	16,669
19	Le Mans FC	10,411	-5.9%	16,221
20	AS Monaco	8,512	-21.4%	16,904