2008–09 Swiss Super League

The 2008–09 Swiss Super League was the 112th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. The competition is officially named AXPO Super League due to sponsoring purposes. It began on 18 July 2008 with a match between Young Boys Bern and reigning champions FC Basel, which the latter won by 2–1. The last matches were played in May 2009.

Swiss Super League
Season2008–09
Dates18 July 2008 – 30 May 2009
ChampionsFC Zürich
12th title
RelegatedFC Vaduz
Champions LeagueFC Zürich
Europa LeagueFC Basel
BSC Young Boys
FC Sion (via domestic cup)
Matches played180
Goals scored540 (3 per match)
Top goalscorerSeydou Doumbia (20)
Biggest home winYoung Boys 6–0 Vaduz
Biggest away winVaduz 1–7 Zürich
Highest scoringBellinzona 6–2 Grasshopper
Vaduz 3–5 Zürich
Vaduz 1–7 Zürich

Teams

FC Thun were relegated after finishing in 10th and last place in 2007–08 Swiss Super League. They were replaced by Challenge League 2007–08 champions FC Vaduz, who are the first team from Liechtenstein participating in Switzerland's top football league.

9th placed FC St. Gallen and Challenge League runners-up AC Bellinzona competed in a two-legged relegation play-off after the end of last season. Bellinzona won 5–2 on aggregate and thus earned promotion, while St. Gallen were relegated.

Location of teams in the 2008–09 Swiss Super League
Club Location Stadium Capacity
FC BaselBaselSt. Jakob-Park42,500
BSC Young BoysBerneWankdorf31,783
FC ZürichZürichLetzigrund23,605
Grasshopper Club ZürichZürichLetzigrund23,605
FC SionSionStade Tourbillon16,500
FC LuzernLucerneStadion Allmend13,000
Neuchâtel XamaxNeuchâtelStade de la Maladière12,000
FC AarauAarauStadion Brügglifeld9,249
AC BellinzonaBellinzonaStadio Comunale Bellinzona8,740
FC VaduzVaduzRheinpark Stadion6,127

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Zürich (C) 36 24 7 5 80 36 +44 79 Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round
2 Young Boys 36 22 7 7 85 46 +39 73 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round
3 Basel 36 22 6 8 72 44 +28 72 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
4 Grasshopper 36 12 14 10 57 48 +9 50
5 Aarau 36 11 11 14 35 51 −16 44
6 Bellinzona 36 11 10 15 44 51 −7 43
7 Neuchâtel Xamax 36 10 10 16 50 57 −7 40
8 Sion 36 9 10 17 44 60 −16 37 Qualification to Europa League play-off round[lower-alpha 1]
9 Luzern (O) 36 9 8 19 45 62 −17 35 Qualification to relegation play-off
10 Vaduz (R) 36 5 7 24 28 85 −57 22 Relegation to Swiss Challenge League[lower-alpha 2]
Source: axposuperleague.ch (in German)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Sion won the 2008–09 Swiss Cup and thereby qualified for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League.
  2. Being a Liechtenstein club, Vaduz are not eligible for qualification to European competitions via the Swiss league system. They did, however, qualify for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League by winning their domestic 2008–09 Liechtenstein Cup.

Results

Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team played every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season.

Relegation play-offs

FC Lucern as 9th-placed team of the Super League were played a two-legged play-off against Challenge League runners-up AC Lugano.

Lugano1–0Luzern
Renfer 15'
Attendance: 7,200
Luzern5–0Lugano
Renggli 14'
Chiumiento 52' (pen.)
Paiva 77', 83'
Scarione 80'
Attendance: 12,500

Luzern won 5–1 on aggregate.

Top goalscorers

Updated on 24 May 2009; Source: football.ch (in German)

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Ivory Coast Seydou Doumbia BSC Young Boys 20
2 Switzerland Almen Abdi FC Zürich 19
3 France Eric Hassli FC Zürich 17
4 France Alexandre Alphonse FC Zürich 13
Ghana Joetex Asamoah Frimpong FC Lucerne 13
6 Australia Scott Chipperfield FC Basel 12
7 Switzerland Mauro Lustrinelli AC Bellinzona 11
Portugal João Paiva FC Lucerne 11
France Olivier Monterrubio FC Sion 11
10 Switzerland Benjamin Huggel FC Basel 10
Nigeria Ideye Aide Brown Neuchâtel Xamax 10
Switzerland Mario Raimondi BSC Young Boys 10

Awards
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