2008–09 Liga Leumit

The 2008–09 Liga Leumit season began on 29 August 2008 and ended on 29 May 2009.

Liga Leumit
Season2008–09
ChampionsHapoel Haifa
PromotedHapoel Haifa
Hapoel Acre
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hapoel Ramat Gan
Amutat Hapoel Ra'anana
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
RelegatedMaccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata
Matches played198
Goals scored457 (2.31 per match)

Two teams from Liga Artzit were promoted at the end of the previous season: Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata along with two teams relegated from Israeli Premier League: Maccabi Herzliya and Hapoel Kfar Saba.
The two teams relegated to Liga Artzit were Hapoel Nazareth Illit and Hapoel Rishon LeZion.

Due to an expected league expansion,[1] at the end of the season five clubs were automatically promoted to the Israeli Premier League, 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 Liga Artzit (which ceased to exist, with the regionalised Liga Alef becoming the third tier).

Stadia

Club Stadium Capacity
Hapoel JerusalemTeddy Stadium21,600
Hapoel HaifaKiryat Eliezer Stadium14,002
Hapoel Be'er ShevaVasermil Stadium13,000
Maccabi HerzliyaHerzliya Municipal Stadium08,100
Hapoel Ramat GanHaMakhtesh Stadium05,500
Hapoel Kfar SabaLevita Stadium05,800
Hapoel AcreNapoleon Stadium005,0001
Maccabi Ahi NazarethIlut Stadium04,932
Hapoel Ra'ananaKarnei Oren Memorial Field02,500
Hapoel Bnei LodLod Municipal Stadium02,000
Ironi Ramat HaSharonYankela Grundman Stadium02,200
Maccabi Kiryat AtaKiryat Ata Municipal Stadium0,0726

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

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Hapoel Haifa (C, P) 33 17 11 5 44 29 +15 62[lower-alpha 1] Promotion to Israeli Premier League
2 Hapoel Acre (P) 33 17 10 6 50 23 +27 61
3 Hapoel Be'er Sheva (P) 33 16 11 6 53 35 +18 59
4 Hapoel Ramat Gan (P) 33 14 11 8 37 31 +6 53
5 Hapoel Ra'anana (P) 33 15 6 12 36 38 2 51
6 Maccabi Ahi Nazareth (O, P) 33 12 9 12 41 33 +8 45 Qualification for promotion play-offs
7 Maccabi Herzliya 33 10 8 15 34 46 12 38
8 Hapoel Kfar Saba 33 8 12 13 34 41 7 36
9 Hapoel Bnei Lod 33 8 13 12 35 38 3 37[lower-alpha 1]
10 Hapoel Jerusalem 33 9 10 14 32 40 8 37
11 Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon (O) 33 8 12 13 37 50 13 36 Qualification for relegation play-offs
12 Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata (R) 33 4 7 22 24 53 29 19 Relegation to Liga Alef
Source: The Israel Football Association
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd matches won; 4th goals scored; 5th head-to-head; 6th decision match
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Hapoel Haifa received a technical loss of 3-0 to Hapoel Bnei Lod for fielding an ineligible player.

Positions by round

Team ╲ Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233
Hapoel Haifa111111111111111111111111111111111
Hapoel Acre12129633456666454454222323322223332
Hapoel Be'er Sheva695454335433332345554232233332223
Hapoel Ramat Gan432222222222223222343444444444444
Hapoel Ra'anana576897543554545533435555555555555
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth223345664345666666666666666666666
Maccabi Herzliya96456688810111111111010111111111111111011101099101087
Hapoel Bnei Lod11111212121212121212101010101111101088810101110111110109898
Hapoel Jerusalem8479799999888999997778877777779109
Hapoel Kfar Saba3587887777777888889997788888887710
Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon7811101010101010899977777101010999999111111111111
Maccabi Kiryat Ata101010111111111111111212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

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

Home \ Away HAC HBS HBL HHA HJE HKS HRA HRG IRH MAN MHE IKA
Hapoel Acre 0–2 3–0 0–4 3–0 2–1 1–0 2–0 3–0 2–1 0–1 0–0
Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–0 3–1 0–1 2–3 0–2 2–1 3–0
Hapoel Bnei Lod 0–0 0–2 1–2 0–2 1–2 0–1 0–3 4–0 1–1 1–0 0–0
Hapoel Haifa 2–2 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–0 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–1 2–0
Hapoel Jerusalem 0–0 1–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–2 2–3 4–1 1–0 1–2 0–0
Hapoel Kfar Saba 1–0 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–0 1–1 0–0 3–2 1–3 1–3 2–0
Hapoel Ra'anana 0–1 0–4 1–1 0–2 1–0 3–2 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–0
Hapoel Ramat Gan 1–1 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–1 1–0 3–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 3–1
Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon 0–2 0–0 1–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–0 2–2 3–0 2–0
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth 2–1 0–1 3–0 0–0 2–2 1–1 1–2 3–0 1–1 4–1 2–0
Maccabi Herzliya 0–1 1–1 0–4 1–2 2–1 1–1 1–3 0–2 1–0 1–0 1–2
Maccabi Kiryat Ata 0–2 0–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–2 1–2 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–0
Source: The Israel Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Third round

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

Rounds
23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd
3 – 12
4 – 2
5 – 1
6 – 11
7 – 10
8 – 9
12 – 9
10 – 8
11 – 7
1 – 6
2 – 5
3 – 4
4 – 12
5 – 3
6 – 2
7 – 1
8 – 11
9 – 10
12 – 10
11 – 9
1 – 8
2 – 7
3 – 6
4 – 5
5 – 12
6 – 4
7 – 3
8 – 2
9 – 1
10 – 11
12 – 11
1 – 10
2 – 9
3 – 8
4 – 7
5 – 6
6 – 12
7 – 5
8 – 4
9 – 3
10 – 2
11 – 1
1 – 12
2 – 11
3 – 10
4 – 9
5 – 8
6 – 7
12 – 7
8 – 6
9 – 5
10 – 4
11 – 3
1 – 2
2 – 12
3 – 1
4 – 11
5 – 10
6 – 9
7 – 8
12 – 8
9 – 7
10 – 6
11 – 5
1 – 4
2 – 3
Home \ Away HAC HBS HBL HHA HJE HKS HRA HRG IRH MAN MHE IKA
Hapoel Acre 0–0 7–1 1–1 0–0 1–0 5–0
Hapoel Be'er Sheva 0–2 2–2 3–1 3–3 3–2 3–2
Hapoel Bnei Lod 1–1 0–1 2–1 4–2 0–0
Hapoel Haifa 2–1 0–3[lower-alpha 1] 3–0 0–0 3–1 3–1
Hapoel Jerusalem 1–2 0–1 1–1 0–2 3–1
Hapoel Kfar Saba 0–1 1–1 3–0 2–2 1–1
Hapoel Ra'anana 1–3 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–2 2–1
Hapoel Ramat Gan 1–1 3–1 0–2 3–1 0–4 2–1
Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon 3–3 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–1
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth 0–3 1–0 1–0 0–1 3–0 1–1
Maccabi Herzliya 0–0 0–0 2–0 2–1 1–1
Maccabi Kiryat Ata 2–0 2–3 1–2 3–0 3–4
Source: The Israel Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. Hapoel Haifa received a technical loss of 3–0 to Hapoel Bnei Lod for fielding an ineligible player.

Promotion/relegation playoff

Promotion playoff

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth as the 6th-placed team faced the 11th-placed Israeli Premier League team Hakoah Ramat Gan for a two-legged playoff. Maccabi Ahi Nazareth won both games and were promoted to the Israeli Premier League.

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth2 – 1Hakoah Ramat Gan
Ayeli 41'
Silvas 48'
Report For 42'

Hakoah Ramat Gan1 – 2Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
For 23' Report Jida 46'
Ayeli 76'
Referee: Eitan Tabrizi

Relegation playoff

Ironi Ramat HaSharon as the 11th-placed team faced the 8th-placed Liga Artzit team Maccabi Kafr Kanna for a two-legged playoff, Ironi Ramat HaSharon won both games and will continue playing in Liga Leumit next season.

Ironi Ramat HaSharon2 – 1Maccabi Kafr Kanna
Banahene 73', 85'
Shabo soccer ball with red X
Report Zilka 45'
Referee: Meir Levi

Maccabi Kafr Kanna0 – 1Ironi Ramat HaSharon
Report Banahene 19'
Azmi Nassar Stadium, Kafr Kanna
Referee: Assaf Keinan

Season statistics

Scoring

Discipline

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals[5]
1 Israel Ohad Kadousi Hapoel Be'er Sheva 18
2 Israel Eran Levy Hapoel Haifa 13
Israel Achmad Saba'a Hapoel Bnei Lod 13
Ivory Coast Serge Ayeli Maccabi Ahi Nazareth 13
5 Israel Shay Aharon Hapoel Jerusalem 12
6 Georgia (country) Irakliy Geperidze Hapoel Haifa 11
7 Israel Dovev Gabay Maccabi Herzliya 10
Ghana Emmanuel Banahene Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon 10
9 Israel Ronen Shwartzman Hapoel Acre 08
Israel Dudu Biton Hapoel Ra'anana 08
Israel Mor Golan Hapoel Ramat Gan 08
Democratic Republic of the Congo Alain Masudi Maccabi Herzliya 08
Total 457
Average per game 2.3

See also

References

  1. June 24th IFA meeting summary Archived 2008-07-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Hebrew)
  2. "Hapoel Acco 0:4 Hapoel Haifa". The Israel Football Association. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  3. "Hapoel Acre 7:1 Hapoel Haifa". The Israel Football Association. 22 May 2009. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  4. "Hapoel Akko 2-1 Maccabi Ahi Nazareth". The Israel Football Association. 6 December 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  5. "Liga Leumit Top Scorers". The Israel Football Association. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
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