2008 in association football

The following are the association football events of the year 2008 throughout the world.

News

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. ^[1]
• 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.

International tournaments

Men

• 20 January – 10 February: 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in   Ghana
  • :   Egypt
  • :   Cameroon
  • :   Ghana
  • 4th:   Ivory Coast
• 17 – 23 February: Men's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing,   China
  • :   South Korea
  • :   Japan
  • :   China
  • 4th:   North Korea
• 11 – 23 March: 2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament in Nashville,   United States
  • :   Honduras
  • :   United States
  • :   Canada
  • 4th:   Guatemala
• 4 – 16 May: 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in   Turkey
  • :   Spain
  • :   France
  • :   Turkey and   Netherlands
• 7 – 29 June: UEFA Euro 2008 in   Austria and   Switzerland
  • :   Spain
  • :   Germany
  • :   Turkey and   Russia
• 30 May – 1 June: Baltic Cup in Riga,   Latvia
  • :   Latvia
  • :   Lithuania
  • :   Estonia
• 3 – 14 June: 2008 SAFF Championship in   Maldives and   Sri Lanka
  • :   Maldives
  • :   India
• 30 July – 13 August: AFC Challenge Cup,   India
  • :   India
  • :   Tajikistan
  • :   North Korea
  • 4th:   Myanmar
• 7 – 23 August: 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament in Beijing,   China
  • :   Argentina
  • :   Nigeria
  • :   Brazil
• 5 – 28 December: 2008 AFF Championship in   Indonesia and   Thailand
  • :   Vietnam
  • :   Thailand
  • :   Indonesia ,  Singapore

Women

• 18 – 24 February: Women's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing,   China
  • :   Japan
  • :   North Korea
  • :   China
  • 4th:   South Korea
• 5 – 12 March: 2008 Algarve Cup in Algarve,   Portugal
  • :   United States
  • :   Denmark
  • :   Norway
  • 4th:   Germany
• 6 – 21 August: 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament in Beijing,   China
  • :   United States
  • :   Brazil
  • :   Germany
• 30 October – 16 November: 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in   New Zealand
  • :   North Korea
  • :   United States
  • :   Germany
  • 4th:   England
• 20 November – 7 December: 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in   Chile
  • :   United States
  • :   North Korea
  • :   Germany
  • 4th:   France

National champions

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
• Liga Indonesia Premier Division: Sriwijaya
• 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
• Super League 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: NK 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 de Fútbol de El Salvador: 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

Deaths

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
• 4 March – Jocelyne Henry (54), French 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

References

1. "Liquidation signals the final nail in Gretna coffin". The Cumberland News. 2008-08-08. Archived from the original on 2009-03-14. Retrieved 2009-09-23.