2008–09 in Croatian football

The following article presents a summary of the 2008–09 football (soccer) season in Croatia, which was the 18th season of competitive football in the country.

2008–09 in Croatian football
First Division champions
Dinamo Zagreb (11th title)
Second Division champions
Istra 1961
Third Division champions
Croatian Cup winners
Dinamo Zagreb (10th title)
Teams in Europe
Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Rijeka, Slaven Belupo
Croatia national team
2010 World Cup qualification

National team

The home team is on the left column; the away team is on the right column.

Friendly matches
Slovenia 2 – 3 Croatia
 Report
(in Croatian)
Attendance: 8,000
Romania 1 – 2 Croatia
Marica  22' Report
(in Croatian)
Attendance: 6,000

World Cup qualifiers

Croatia is currently in Group 6 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification process.[1]

Croatia 3 – 0 Kazakhstan
 Report
Attendance: 17,424
Croatia 1 – 4 England
Mandžukić  78' Report
Attendance: 35,218
Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia)
Ukraine 0 – 0 Croatia
Report
Attendance: 38,500
Croatia 4 – 0 Andorra
 Report
Attendance: 14,441
Referee: István Vad (Hungary)
Andorra 0 – 2 Croatia
Report
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Leontios Trattou (Cyprus)
Croatia 2 – 2 Ukraine
 Report
Attendance: 32,073
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)

League tables

Prva HNL
Main article: 2008–09 Croatian First Football League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Dinamo Zagreb (C) 33 23 5 5 71 26 +45 74 Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2 Hajduk Split 33 21 5 7 59 25 +34 68 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round
3 Rijeka 33 17 5 11 50 44 +6 56 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
4 Slaven Belupo 33 16 7 10 46 39 +7 55 Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
5 NK Zagreb 33 13 8 12 38 39 −1 47
6 Šibenik 33 13 7 13 44 35 +9 46
7 Osijek 33 10 11 12 40 41 −1 41
8 Cibalia 33 10 8 15 33 53 −20 38
9 Inter Zaprešić 33 9 9 15 41 50 −9 36
10 Varteks 33 10 5 18 41 55 −14 35
11 Zadar 33 7 8 18 28 49 −21 29
12 Croatia Sesvete[lower-alpha 2] (O) 33 6 8 19 31 66 −35 25 Qualification to relegation play-off
Source: prva-hnl.hr (in Croatian)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner.
Notes:
  1. Because both cup finalists, Dinamo and Hajduk, qualified for Europe through their league positions, all three UEFA Europa League spots were given to teams according to their league positions, what means that fourth-placed Slaven Belupo also earned a spot in Europa League.
  2. Croatia Sesvete were docked 1 point due to unpaid debts to Imotski over player Darko Vučić.[2]

Druga HNL
Main article: 2008–09 Croatian Second Football League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Istra 1961 (C, P) 30 18 6 6 46 20 +26 60 Promotion to Croatian First Football League
2 Karlovac (P) 30 18 5 7 50 24 +26 59
3 Lokomotiva (P) 30 18 5 7 50 30 +20 59
4 Slavonac CO[lower-alpha 1] (R) 30 15 12 3 39 18 +21 57
5 Međimurje (P) 30 16 2 12 61 34 +27 50
6 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 30 13 10 7 38 36 +2 49 Qualification to promotion play-offs
7 Solin 30 14 5 11 37 31 +6 47
8 Vinogradar 30 11 7 12 40 50 −10 40
9 Imotski 30 10 4 16 31 45 −14 34
10 Suhopolje 30 8 9 13 33 37 −4 33
11 Segesta 30 8 9 13 33 47 −14 33
12 Junak 30 9 6 15 35 51 −16 33
13 Pomorac 30 9 5 16 29 45 −16 32
14 Mosor 30 8 6 16 25 44 −19 30
15 Moslavina 30 7 7 16 33 51 −18 28 Relegation to Croatian Third Football League
16 Trogir (R) 30 3 12 15 32 49 −17 21
Source: Sportnet.hr (in Croatian)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Slavonac CO had to step back from promotion after they were not able to find a satisfiable ground, and were demoted to the 1st county league; therefore Međimurje were promoted directly and Hrvatski Dragovoljac entered the playoff, while Moslavina were not relegated.

Division East
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Grafičar Vodovod (C) 33 19 9 5 66 28 +38 66
2 Graničar 33 20 6 7 69 47 +22 66
3 Križevci 33 18 7 8 54 32 +22 61
4 Vukovar '91 (P) 33 17 7 9 52 39 +13 58
5 NK Đakovo 33 17 6 10 46 33 +13 57
6 Slavija Pleternica 33 16 5 12 57 42 +15 53
7 Virovitica 33 15 8 10 51 39 +12 53
8 Bjelovar 33 15 7 11 54 49 +5 52
9 Nedelišće 33 13 5 15 48 61 −13 44
10 Višnjevac 33 14 1 18 47 57 −10 43
11 Mladost Cernik 33 12 5 16 41 45 −4 41
12 Mladost Prelog 33 11 8 14 54 61 −7 41
13 Olimpija Osijek 33 11 8 14 53 60 −7 41
14 NAŠK 33 10 7 16 47 52 −5 37
15 Croatia Đakovo (R) 33 10 3 20 37 61 −24 33
16 Koprivnica (R) 33 8 8 17 48 58 −10 32
17 Belišće (R) 33 10 2 21 48 66 −18 32
18 Marsonia (R) 17 1 2 14 12 54 −42 5
Source:
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.

Division South
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 RNK Split (C) 34 23 8 3 79 20 +59 77
2 Raštane 34 20 8 6 70 35 +35 68
3 Zmaj 34 19 7 8 44 28 +16 64
4 Velebit 34 17 8 9 54 35 +19 59
5 Primorac (BnM) 34 17 5 12 59 42 +17 56
6 GOŠK (D) 34 15 7 12 38 42 −4 52
7 Zagora 34 14 8 12 47 44 +3 50
8 Konavljanin 34 15 3 16 47 55 −8 48
9 Hrvace 34 13 8 13 56 46 +10 47
10 Primorac 1929 34 15 2 17 52 62 −10 47
11 Jadran (KS) 34 10 10 14 50 54 −4 40
12 Jadran LP 34 12 4 18 31 49 −18 40
13 Dugopolje 34 12 3 19 44 45 −1 39
14 Neretva 34 9 11 14 39 54 −15 38
15 Neretvanac (R) 34 10 7 17 38 57 −19 37
16 Omiš (R) 34 9 8 17 28 41 −13 35
17 Val (R) 34 11 1 22 35 66 −31 34
18 GOŠK (KG) (R) 34 8 6 20 30 66 −36 30
Source:
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated.

Division West
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Rudeš (C) 34 22 10 2 63 24 +39 76
2 Lučko (P) 34 19 7 8 75 45 +30 64
3 Vrapče 34 16 8 10 58 45 +13 56
4 Jadran Poreč 34 17 5 12 46 34 +12 56
5 Polet Buševec 34 14 6 14 59 51 +8 48
6 HAŠK 34 15 3 16 56 53 +3 48
7 Novalja 34 13 9 12 40 39 +1 48
8 Rovinj 34 10 14 10 59 48 +11 44
9 Rudar Labin 34 12 8 14 48 51 −3 44
10 Nehaj 34 12 8 14 37 41 −4 44
11 Vrbovec 34 12 8 14 39 45 −6 44
12 Grobničan 34 13 4 17 40 58 −18 43
13 Orijent 34 12 8 14 45 41 +4 42[lower-alpha 1]
14 Medulin 1921 34 11 9 14 43 49 −6 42
15 Radnik (R) 34 11 7 16 38 46 −8 40
16 Maksimir (R) 34 10 10 14 34 52 −18 40
17 Istra Pula (R) 34 10 7 17 36 67 −31 35[lower-alpha 2]
18 Samobor (R) 34 6 11 17 35 62 −27 29
Source:
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. 2 points deducted?
  2. 2 points deducted?

Honours
Competition Winner Details
Croatian Cup Dinamo Zagreb 2008–09 Croatian Cup
Beat Hajduk Split 4–3 on penalties (3–3 on aggregate)
1.HNL Dinamo Zagreb 2008–09 Prva HNL
2.HNL Istra 1961 2008–09 Druga HNL
3.HNL East Division Grafičar Vodovod
3.HNL South Division RNK Split
3.HNL West Division Rudeš

Croatian clubs in Europe

Summary
Club Competition Final round
Dinamo Zagreb UEFA Champions League
UEFA Cup		 Third qualifying round
Group stage
Slaven Belupo UEFA Cup First round
Hajduk Split UEFA Cup Second qualifying round
Rijeka UEFA Intertoto Cup First round

Dinamo Zagreb
Date Venue Opponents Score[3] Dinamo scorer(s) Report
Champions League - First qualifying round
16 July Windsor Park, Belfast (A) Linfield 2–0 Mario Mandžukić, Dino Drpić uefa.com
23 July Maksimir, Zagreb (H) Linfield 1–1 Mario Mandžukić uefa.com
Champions League - Second qualifying round
30 July Sports Park, Domžale (A) Domžale 3–0 Ivica Vrdoljak, Sammir, Josip Tadić uefa.com
6 August Maksimir, Zagreb (H) Domžale 3–2 Igor Bišćan, Mirko Hrgović, Dino Drpić uefa.com
Champions League - Third qualifying round
13 August RSC Olimpiyskiy, Donetsk (A) Shakhtar Donetsk 0–2 uefa.com
27 August Maksimir, Zagreb (H) Shakhtar Donetsk 1–3 Boško Balaban uefa.com
UEFA Cup - First round
18 September Maksimir, Zagreb (H) Sparta Prague 0–0 uefa.com
2 October AXA Arena, Prague (A) Sparta Prague 3–3 Pedro Morales, Dejan Lovren, Milan Badelj uefa.com
UEFA Cup - Group stage
23 October Maksimir, Zagreb (H) NEC 3–2 Mario Mandžukić, Boško Balaban, Ivica Vrdoljak uefa.com
6 November White Hart Lane, London (A) Tottenham Hotspur 0–4 uefa.com
27 November Maksimir, Zagreb (H) Spartak Moscow 0–1 uefa.com
3 December Stadio Friuli, Udine (A) Udinese 1–2 Igor Bišćan uefa.com

Slaven Belupo
Date Venue Opponents Score[3] Slaven scorer(s) Report
UEFA Cup - First qualifying round
17 July Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali (A) Marsaxlokk 4–0 Matija Kristić, Dalibor Poldrugač, Franjo Tepurić, Bojan Vručina uefa.com
31 July Gradski stadion, Koprivnica (H) Marsaxlokk 4–0 Mario Bilen, Kristijan Čaval, Bojan Vručina (2) uefa.com
UEFA Cup - Second qualifying round
14 August Kleanthis Vikelidis, (A) Aris 0–1 uefa.com
28 August Gradski stadion, Koprivnica (H) Aris 2–0 Bojan Vručina (2) uefa.com
UEFA Cup - First round
18 September Gradski stadion, Koprivnica (H) CSKA Moscow 1–2 Mario Jurić uefa.com
30 September Luzhniki, Moscow (A) CSKA Moscow 0–1 uefa.com

Hajduk Split
Date Venue Opponents Score[3] Hajduk scorer(s) Report
UEFA Cup - First qualifying round
17 July Poljud, Split (H) Birkirkara 4–0 Senijad Ibričić, Nikola Kalinić, Tomislav Bušić, Mario Tičinović uefa.com
31 July Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali (A) Birkirkara 3–0 Ivan Strinić, Mladen Bartolović, Senijad Ibričić uefa.com
UEFA Cup - Second qualifying round
14 August Riazor, La Coruña (A) Deportivo La Coruña 0–0 uefa.com
28 August Poljud, Split (H) Deportivo La Coruña 0–2 uefa.com

Rijeka
Date Venue Opponents Score[3] Rijeka scorer(s) Report
Intertoto Cup - First round
21 June Kantrida, Rijeka (H) Renova 0–0
28 June Gradski stadion, Skopje (A) Renova 0–2

References
  1. Groups and standings Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine FIFA Retrieved 2008-05-31
  2. Sesvećanima ipak oduzet bod Archived 2009-08-17 at WebCite (in Croatian)
  3. The score of the Croatian team is shown first.
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