2008 A Lyga

The Lithuanian A Lyga 2008 was the 19th season of top-tier football in Lithuania. The season started on 29 March 2008 and ended on 16 November 2008.[1]

A Lyga
Season2008
Dates29 March-10 November
ChampionsFK Ekranas
RelegatedFK Silute
UEFA Champions LeagueFK Ekranas
UEFA Europa LeagueFBK Kaunas
FK Suduva
FK Vetra
Top goalscorerBrazil Rafael Gaúcho (14 goals)
← 2007
2009 →

The league had to reduce the number of its teams from ten to nine prior to this season due to lacking of team able to earn promotion (see below). Shortly before the start of the season, Vilnius withdrew from participating in the league because of unknown reasons, leaving the league with 8 competing teams.

Clubs
Location of teams in the A Lyga 2008
Club Location Stadium Capacity
AtlantasKlaipėda Žalgiris Stadium 5,000
EkranasPanevėžys Aukštaitija Stadium 9,940
FBK KaunasKaunas S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Stadium 8,500
SūduvaMarijampolė Sūduva Stadium 4,000
ŠiauliaiŠiauliai Savivaldybė Stadium 2,430
ŠilutėŠilutė Šilutė Stadium 3,000
VėtraVilnius Vėtra Stadium 5,900
ŽalgirisVilnius Žalgiris Stadium 15,030

Promotion and relegation

Interas-AE Visaginas were relegated to the Lithuanian First League after finishing the 2007 season in last place with only 8 points. Šilutė were originally scheduled to play the 2nd placed team of the First League, Rodiklis Kaunas, in a relegation play-off, but Rodiklis declined promotion due to lacking financial capabilities.

First League champions Alytis Alytus also had to forfeit their place in this year's league because their ground was not suitable for top-tier football, so no team was promoted.

League standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Ekranas (C) 28 20 5 3 46 12 +34 65 Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2 FBK Kaunas 28 16 7 5 51 17 +34 55 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
3 Vėtra 28 14 6 8 33 24 +9 48[lower-alpha 1] Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
4 Sūduva 28 14 6 8 35 25 +10 48[lower-alpha 1] Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
5 Žalgiris 28 6 10 12 27 41 −14 28[lower-alpha 3]
6 Atlantas 28 7 7 14 31 44 −13 28[lower-alpha 3]
7 Šiauliai 28 5 9 14 24 41 −17 24
8 Šilutė (R) 28 3 4 21 19 62 −43 13 Relegation to I Lyga
Source: www2.omnitel.net
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. VET: 7 pts, 5–3; SUD: 4 pts, 3–5
  2. Sūduva won the 2008–09 Lithuanian Football Cup and thereby qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
  3. ŽAL: 5 pts, 7–6; ATL: 5 pts, 6–7

Results

Every team played each other four times, twice at home and twice on the road, for a total of 28 games.

Top goalscorers

Source: lfe.lt (in Lithuanian)

Pos. Player Club Goals
1 Brazil Rafael Gaúcho FBK Kaunas 14
2 Lithuania Mindaugas Grigalevičius FBK Kaunas 12
3 Lithuania Povilas Lukšys Sūduva 11
4 Lithuania Vitalijus Kavaliauskas Ekranas 8
5 Lithuania Darius Maciulevičius Sūduva 7
6 Lithuania Egidijus Varnas Ekranas 6
Lithuania Valdas Trakys Ekranas
Latvia Ivans Lukjanovs Šiauliai / Sūduva

References
  1. Laužadis, Almantas (17 February 2009). "Lithuania 2008". Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
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