2008–09 Ukrainian Premier League


The 2008–09 Ukrainian Premier League season was the eighteenth since its establishment. The league was restructured and split off from the Professional Football League of Ukraine. It was officially named as the EpiCentre Championship of Ukraine in football.
Shakhtar Donetsk were the defending champions of the past season, having won their fourth league title. The season began on 16 July 2008 with a scoreless draw between Tavriya Simferopol and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. The last round of matches were played on 26 May 2009. A total of 16 teams participated in the league, 14 of which had contested in the 2007–08 season, and two of which were promoted from the Persha Liha.
Vorskla Poltava's Ahmed Yanuzi scored the first goal of the tournament on 18 July 2008 in the 72nd minute of an away match against FC Kharkiv. Dynamo Kyiv won their title several games before the end of the season after a home win against Tavriya Simferopol. Dynamo finished with a 15-point lead over the defending champions and current runners-up Shakhtar Donetsk.

Teams

Promoted

Managers and captains

Qualification to European competitions for 2009–10

Timeline of qualification

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League table

Results

Round by round

The following table is a historic representation of the team's position in the standings after the completion of each round.

Top scorers

#ScorerGoals Team
1 Oleksandr Kovpak17 Tavriya Simferopol
2 Ismaël Bangoura13 Dynamo Kyiv
2 Oleksandr Aliev13 Dynamo Kyiv
4 Jajá11 Metalist Kharkiv
5 Serhiy Kuznetsov10Karpaty Lviv
5 Parid Xhihani10Zorya Luhansk
5 Artem Milevskiy10 Dynamo Kyiv
8 Tiberiu Ghioane9Dynamo Kyiv
9 Oleksandr Kosyrin8Chornomorets Odesa
9 Marko Dević8 Metalist Kharkiv
9 Ricardo Fernandes8 Metalurh Donetsk

Season awards

The laureates of the 2008–09 UPL season were:
played in Sumy, because Dynamo Stadium in Kharkiv which was recently bought by the club requires major renovations. The club returned to their home ground in April for their 24th Round game against Tavriya. Arsenal Kyiv, who also has a chronic problem with obtaining its own home ground, shared three stadiums in the first half of the season. Initially allowed to play at Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Arsenal was forced to seek another home venue during its times financial hardship. Arsenal was spotted by Obolon Kyiv that let the club utilize the Obolon Stadium. As the problem continues to be unresolved with Arsenal's home field, they could possibly relocate from Kiev, with some speculations of moving to Sumy Oblast.
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk has moved this season to the newly built Dnipro Stadium, but still played some of its games at Stadium Meteor on occasion. Also Shakhtar Donetsk plans to move to the newly built Donbass Arena once it is completely built. FC Chornomorets Odessa, due to renovations at Chornomorets Stadium played its games in the second half of the season at Spartak Stadium.
Newly promoted FC Lviv decided to use Ukraina Stadium expecting to attract extra fans in Lviv. However, economic factors as well as poor performances and lack of support in the area the club decided after the winter break to return to their original home ground Kniazha Arena in Dobromyl. After one home game in atrocious conditions in early spring which damaged the pitch the club was forced to look to other venues. Late in April FC Lviv returned for home fixtures at Kniazha Arena.

List of home stadiums

Auxiliary or former home stadiums

Medal squads

'
1. FC Dynamo Kyiv

Goalkeepers: Stanislav Bohush, Oleksandr Shovkovsky.

Defenders: Betão, Badr El Kaddouri, Andriy Nesmachny, Taras Mykhalyk, Pape Diakhaté, Goran Sablić, Vitaliy Mandziuk, Oleksandr Romanchuk, Oleh Dopilka.

Midfielders: Ognjen Vukojević, Oleksandr Aliyev, Tiberiu Ghioane, Miloš Ninković, Roman Eremenko, Corrêa, Malkhaz Asatiani, Atanda Yussuf, Serhiy Kravchenko, Oleh Husiev, Mykola Moroziuk, Florin Cernat, Frank Temile.

Forwards: Ismaël Bangoura, Artem Milevskiy, Artem Kravets, Roman Zozulya, Andriy Yarmolenko, Maksim Shatskikh, Guilherme.
Manager: Yuriy Semin.
Transferred out during the season: ?.
2. FC Shakhtar Donetsk

Goalkeepers: Andriy Pyatov, Rustam Khudzhamov.

Defenders: Darijo Srna, Dmytro Chyhrynsky, Răzvan Raț, Oleksandr Kucher, Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Mykola Ishchenko, Oleksandr Chyzhov, Volodymyr Yezersky.

Midfielders: Willian, Jádson, Tomáš Hübschman, Fernandinho, Oleksiy Hay, Mariusz Lewandowski, Ilsinho, Igor Duljaj, Kostiantyn Kravchenko, Artem Fedetsky, Oleksiy Poliansky.

Forwards: Yevhen Selezniov, Oleksandr Hladkyy, Marcelo Moreno, Luiz Adriano, Nery Castillo, Ruslan Fomin.
Manager: Mircea Lucescu.
Transferred out during the season: ?.
3. FC Metalist Kharkiv

Goalkeepers: Oleksandr Horiainov, Ihor Bazhan.

Defenders: Milan Obradović, Vitalie Bordian, Papa Gueye, Seweryn Gancarczyk, Jonathan Maidana, Andriy Koniushenko, Yevhen Selin, Maksym Yakhno.

Midfielders: Valentyn Sliusar, Edmar, Serhiy Valiayev, Oleksandr Rykun, Walter Acevedo, Andriy Berezovchuk, Anton Postupalenko, Serhiy Barilko.

Forwards: Marko Dević, Jajá, Venance Zeze, Dmytro Semochko, Roman Butenko.
Manager: Myron Markevich.
Transferred out during the season: ?.

Note': Players in italic'' are those whose playing position is uncertain.