2008 Armenian Premier League

Armenian Premier League

Season	2008
Champions	Pyunik 11th Armenian title
Relegated	none
Champions League	Pyunik
Europa League	Gandzasar Mika Banants
Matches played	112
Goals scored	254 (2.27 per match)
Top goalscorer	Marcos Pizzelli (17 goals)
Biggest home win	Ararat 5–0 Kilikia
Biggest away win	Kilikia 1–5 Ararat Kilikia 1–5 Mika
Highest scoring	Banants 4–2 Kilikia Kilikia 1–5 Ararat Kilikia 1–5 Mika
← 2007 2009 →

The 2008 Armenian Premier League season (known as STAR National Football League due to sponsorship reasons) was the seventeenth since its establishment. It started on 6 April 2008, while the last matches were played on 15 November 2008. FC Pyunik were the defending champions. The Yerevan side won their seventh consecutive league title the previous season, their tenth overall. FC Dinamo Yerevan were supposed to be the team to get promoted, but they withdrew from the Premier League, and were disbanded.

On 30 April 2008, Football Federation of Armenia signed a contract with STAR retailing company by which STAR would become the sponsor of the 17th Armenian Premier League season, and henceforth the 2008 season would be called STAR National Football League. ^[1]

The league was played in four stages. The teams played each other four times, twice at home and twice away. The champions would have been the team with the most points after round 28. However, since Pyunik and Ararat Yerevan were tied on points at the end of the season, they had to play a decision game for the championship.

Participating teams

Yerevan

Shirak

Gandzasar

Yerevan teams:
Ararat Yerevan
Banants
Kilikia
Mika
Pyunik
Ulisses

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Location of teams in the 2008 Armenian Premier League

Club	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Ararat Yerevan	Yerevan	City Stadium (Abovyan)	3,946
Banants	Yerevan	Banants Stadium	3,600
Gandzasar	Kapan	Gandzasar Stadium	3,500
Kilikia	Yerevan	Hrazdan Stadium	54,208
Mika	Yerevan	Mika Stadium	7,250
Pyunik	Yerevan	Republican Stadium	14,403
Shirak	Gyumri	Gyumri City Stadium	2,844
Ulisses	Yerevan	Kasakhi Marzik Stadium	3,500

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Pyunik (C)	28	18	5	5	40	18	+22	59 [lower-alpha 1]	Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
2	Ararat Yerevan	28	18	5	5	48	23	+25	59 [lower-alpha 1]
3	Gandzasar Kapan	28	13	8	7	39	27	+12	47	Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round [lower-alpha 2]
4	Mika	28	13	7	8	38	28	+10	46	Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round [lower-alpha 2]
5	Banants	28	11	8	9	34	25	+9	41
6	Ulisses	28	7	8	13	19	29	−10	29
7	Shirak	28	5	4	19	15	40	−25	19
8	Kilikia	28	2	5	21	21	64	−43	11

Source: ffa.am
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion
Notes:

1. Championship was decided by a decision game (see below).
2. Ararat Yerevan did not obtain the license to compete in European competitions. Therefore, fourth-placed Mika earned a spot in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League while Gandzasar were qualified for the second instead of first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. ^[2]

Decision game

Because Ararat and Pyunik were tied on points after the regular season, they played out the championship in a decision game. ^[3]

19 November 2008

18:00 GMT+4

Pyunik	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Ararat Yerevan
Tadevosyan 68', 118'	Report (in Armenian)	V. Minasyan 69'

Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Ararat Chagharyan

Results

First half of season Home \ Away ARA BAN GAN KIL MIK PYU SHI ULI Ararat Yerevan 1–0 0–1 5–0 2–1 0–0 2–1 3–1 Banants 3–0 1–1 4–2 0–1 0–1 2–0 1–0 Gandzasar Kapan 2–3 0–0 3–1 1–3 1–0 2–0 4–1 Kilikia 0–1 1–1 1–2 0–3 0–3 2–1 0–3 Mika 1–1 1–3 2–1 1–0 1–1 3–1 1–0 Pyunik 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–0 Shirak 0–2 0–2 2–1 0–2 0–0 0–1 0–0 Ulisses 0–2 0–1 1–0 3–0 0–2 1–0 0–1 Source: ffa.am Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second half of season Home \ Away ARA BAN GAN KIL MIK PYU SHI ULI Ararat Yerevan 1–0 2–0 2–2 4–1 0–1 2–1 2–0 Banants 2–2 0–0 4–1 2–1 1–4 3–0 1–1 Gandzasar Kapan 0–0 1–0 2–2 1–0 3–0 3–0 0–0 Kilikia 1–5 0–1 1–2 1–5 0–1 0–1 1–1 Mika 3–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 0–1 1–0 0–0 Pyunik 0–1 1–0 4–1 3–1 3–0 2–1 3–1 Shirak 1–2 1–1 0–3 1–0 0–1 1–2 0–0 Ulisses 0–2 1–0 1–2 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–0 Source: ffa.am Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top goalscorers

Banants vs Pyunik (0-1), matchday 4 fixture (19 April 2008), at Banants Stadium

Source: ffa.am

Rank	Scorer	Team	Goals
1	Marcos Pizzelli	Ararat Yerevan	17
2	Albert Tadevosyan	Pyunik	10
3	Alexander Petrosyan	Gandzasar	9
4	Narek Beglaryan	Mika	8
	Gevorg Ghazaryan	Pyunik
	Karen N. Khachatryan	Kilikia
7	Arsen Balabekyan	Banants	7
	Renato de Moraes	Ararat Yerevan
9	Vital Lyadzyanyow	Banants
	Henrikh Mkhitaryan	Pyunik

See also

• 2008 Armenian First League
• 2008 Armenian Cup

References

1. The Football Federation of Armenia and STAR company have signed a contract
2. Four teams will represent Armenia in Euro Cups
3. Pyunik vs. Ararat additional match will take place at Republican Stadium

External links

• ffa.am
• soccerway.com
• rsssf.com