The 2008–09

Liga Leumit The Israeli Liga Leumit (, HaLiga HaLeumit, ) is the second division of the professional Israeli association football (soccer) league system. This second-tier league is placed directly below the Israeli Premier League. Structure There are 16 ...

season began on 29 August 2008 and ended on 29 May 2009. Two teams from

Liga Artzit Liga Artzit (, lit. ''Country League'') is the defunct third division of Israeli Football League, beneath its highest division Premier League and the second division Liga Leumit. Before being cancelled in 2009, it was run by the Israel Football A ...

were promoted at the end of the previous season:

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's lead ...

and Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata along with two teams relegated from

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

Maccabi Herzliya Maccabi Herzliya F.C. (, ''Moadon Kaduregel Maccabi Herzliya'') is an Israeli football club based in Herzliya. The club is currently in Liga Leumit and plays at the Herzliya Municipal Stadium. History A football section of the Maccabi Herzliya ...

and

Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C. (, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Kfar Saba'') is an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. The club competes in the Liga Leumit and plays home matches at Levita Stadium. History The club was established in 1928. In 1951– ...

.
The two teams

relegated Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...

to Liga Artzit were Hapoel Nazareth Illit and Hapoel Rishon LeZion. Due to an expected league expansion, at the end of the season five clubs were automatically promoted to the

, whilst the sixth-placed club in Liga Leumit played in a play-off match against the 11th-placed team in the Premier League. Only one team relegated automatically, and one team played in a play-off match against a team from

(which ceased to exist, with the regionalised

Liga Alef Liga Alef () is the third tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south. History League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Howe ...

becoming the third tier).

Stadia

¹Currently undergoing construction work to convert it to a 5,000-seat stadium. In the meanwhile they play at the Nahariya Municipal Stadium.

League table

Positions by round

Results

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

First and second round

Third round

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

Promotion/relegation playoff

Promotion playoff

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Football Club (; ) is an Israeli football club based in Nazareth. The club is currently in the and plays at the Ilut Stadium in Ilut on the outskirts of the city. History The club was formed in 1968, and played in Liga ...

as the 6th-placed team faced the 11th-placed

team

Hakoah Ramat Gan Hakoah Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan Football Club () is an Israeli football club based in Ramat Gan. The club is currently in Liga Alef South division and plays at the Winter Stadium in Ramat Shikma, a neighbourhood of Ramat Gan. History The club was ...

for a two-legged playoff.

won both games and were promoted to the

. ----

Relegation playoff

Ironi Ramat HaSharon as the 11th-placed team faced the 8th-placed

team Maccabi Kafr Kanna for a two-legged playoff, Ironi Ramat HaSharon won both games and will continue playing in

next season. ----

Season statistics

Scoring

*First goal of the season:

Eran Levy Eran Levi (; born 4 August 1985) is an Israeli footballer who plays as a striker for F.C. Or Akiva. Career Born in Or Akiva, Levi's professional career began with Maccabi Haifa, where he made his first-team debut in 2002, aged 17. He continued ...

for

Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Haifa Football Club (, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Haifa'') is an Israeli professional football club located in the city of Haifa. The club won one championship (1998–99) and 4 Israeli cups (1962–63, 1965–66 and 1973–74, 2 ...

against Hapoel Acre, 26th minute (29 August 2008) *Widest winning margin: 6 goals – Hapoel Acre 7–1

(22 May 2009) *Most goals in a match: 8 goals – Hapoel Acre 7–1

(22 May 2009)

Discipline

*First yellow card of the season: Muhamad Brik for Hapoel Acre against

, 3rd minute (29 August 2008) *First red card of the season:

Bryan Gerzicich Bryan Paul Gerzicich (born March 20, 1984) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primar ...

for Hapoel Acre against

, 36th minute (29 August 2008) *Most red cards in a single match: 3 – Hapoel Acre 2–1

- 3 for Maccabi Ahi Nazareth (Amjad Suliman, Yakir Shina & Serge Ayeli) (6 December 2008)

Top scorers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Liga Leumit Liga Leumit seasons

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

2008–09 in Israeli football leagues