2008–09 La Liga
The 2008–09 La Liga season (known as the Liga BBVA for sponsorship reasons) 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 ended 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.
Season
2008–09
30 August 2008 – 31 May 2009
Barcelona
19th title
Barcelona (group stage)
Real Madrid (group stage)
Sevilla (group stage)
Atlético Madrid (playoff round)
Villarreal (playoff round)
Valencia (playoff round)
Athletic Bilbao (third qualifying round) (via Copa del Rey)
380
1,101 (2.9 per match)
Diego Forlán
(32 goals)
Real Madrid 7–1 Sporting
(24 September 2008)[1]
Barcelona 6–0 Valladolid
(8 November 2008)[2]
Barcelona 6–0 Málaga
(22 March 2009)[3]
Real Madrid 7–1 Sporting
(24 September 2008)[1]
Real Madrid 2–6 Barcelona
(2 May 2009)[5]
Deportivo 5–3 Racing
(8 March 2009)[6]
Villarreal 4–4 Atlético Madrid
(26 October 2008)[7]
On 16 May 2009, after Villarreal's 3–2 victory over Real Madrid, Barcelona were declared champions, their 19th La Liga title, with three matches to play. Lionel Messi received the inaugural LaLiga Award for Best Player from the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional.
Promotion and relegation[edit]
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.
Awards[edit]
LaLiga Awards[edit]
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 LaLiga Awards.[29]
