Israeli Premier League 2008–09

The 2008-09 Israeli Premier League season began on 30 August 2008, and will end in May 2009. Beitar Jerusalem are the defending champions, having won their 6th league title.

Two teams from Liga Leumit were promoted at the end of the previous season: Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan and Hapoel Petah Tikva. The two teams relegated were Hapoel Kfar Saba and Maccabi Herzliya.

At a 24 June 2008 IFA administration meeting, [ [http://football.org.il/Archive/Articles/Pages/LeagueIFAJune24_2008.aspx June 24th IFA meeting summary (Hebrew)] ] it was decided that the league would be expanded to 16 clubs for the following season. Due to the expansion, only one team will be relegated directly to Liga Leumit, whilst five clubs will be promoted. The eleventh-ranked team will have a playoff match against the sixth-ranked team from Liga Leumit.

League table

Results

The schedule consists of three rounds. During the first two rounds, each team plays each other once home and away for a total of 22 matches. The pairings of the third round will then be set according to the standings after the first two rounds, giving every team a third game against each opponent for a total of 33 games per team.

First and second round

fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |gf= |ga= (18) fb r |gf= |ga= (14) fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf= |ga= (16) fb r |gf=1 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (22) fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf=0 |ga=0

fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (22) fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |gf= |ga= (16) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf= |ga= (18) fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf=0 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (13) fb r |gf=2 |ga=3

fb r |gf= |ga= (9) fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf=2 |ga=2 fb r |gf= |ga= (16) fb r |gf= |ga= (18) fb r |gf=0 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (14) fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |gf= |ga= (21) fb r |gf= |ga= (12)

fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (9) fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |gf= |ga= (14) fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf=2 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf= |ga= (19) fb r |gf= |ga= (21)

fb r |gf=2 |ga=4 fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (13) fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |gf=2 |ga=2 fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf= |ga= (17)

fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |gf= |ga= (19) fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf=2 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (9)

fb r |gf= |ga= (19) fb r |gf= |ga= (21) fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (16) fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf=3 |ga=2 fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (14) fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |gf= |ga= (9) fb r |gf= |ga= (11)

fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf= |ga= (13) fb r |gf= |ga= (9) fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (21) fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |gf= |ga= (19)

fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf= |ga= (17) fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf=3 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (19) fb r |gf= |ga= (11) fb r |gf= |ga= (13) fb r |gf= |ga= (21) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (9) fb r |gf=3 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (7)

fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf= |ga= (14) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf=2 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (18) fb r |gf=3 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf= |ga= (22) fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (12) fb r |gf= |ga= (16)

fb r |gf= |ga= (22) fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf=1 |ga=0 fb r |gf= |ga= (7) fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf= |ga= (16) fb r |gf=1 |ga=1 fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= (14)

fb r |gf= |ga= (13) fb r |gf= |ga= (15) fb r |gf=2 |ga=1 fb r |gf= |ga= (10) fb r |gf= |ga= (6) fb r |gf= |ga= (20) fb r |gf= |ga= (22) fb r |gf= |ga= (8) fb r |gf= |ga= (18) fb r |gf=0 |ga=1 fb r |gf=0 |ga=0 fb r |r=null fb r footer |u=October 6, 2008 |s= [http://football.org.il/ The Israel Football Association]

Third round

Key numbers for pairing determination (number marks position after 22 games):

fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r |gf= |ga=

fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |gf= |ga= fb r |r=null fb r footer |s= [http://football.org.il/ The Israel Football Association]

eason statistics

coring

*First goal of the season: Yossi Shivhon for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Bnei Yehuda, 5th minute (30 August 2008)
*First own goal of the season: Nir Davidovich (Maccabi Haifa) for F.C. Ashdod, 57th minute (30 August 2008)
*Fastest goal in a match: 70 seconds – Assi Baldout for Bnei Yehuda against Hakoah Ramat Gan (13 September 2008)
*Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+5 minutes - Barak Badash for Hakoah Ramat Gan against Bnei Yehuda (13 September 2008)
*Widest winning margin: 2 goals – "6 games"
*Most goals in a match: 6 goals – Hakoah Ramat Gan 2-4 Beitar Jerusalem (20 September 2008)

Discipline

*First red card of the season: Ronny Gafney for Maccabi Haifa against F.C. Ashdod, 58th minute (30 August 2008)
*Most yellow cards in a match: 12 yellow cards - Beitar Jerusalem against Maccabi Haifa (28 September, 2008)
*Most red cards in a match: 4 red cards - F.C. Ashdod against Ironi Kiryat Shmona (13 September, 2008)
*Most cards in a match: 15 cards (12 yellow & 3 red) - Beitar Jerusalem against Maccabi Haifa (28 September, 2008)

Top scorers

References

ee also

*List of Israeli football transfers 2008-09
*Toto Cup Al 2008-2009