2008–09 Standard Liège season
2008–09 season | |
---|---|
Manager | László Bölöni |
First Division | 1st |
Champions League | Final Qualifying Round |
Belgian Cup | Round of 32 |
UEFA Cup | Round of 32 |
Top goalscorer | Dieumerci Mbokani (16) |
Standard Liège won their tenth ever league title thanks to a playoff victory against Anderlecht. They finished on the same point as them with the same number of games won. Following 1-1 away from home in Brussels, Standard won 1-0 at home thanks to a penalty scored by Axel Witsel.
The season also saw the club nearly qualifying for the Champions League, following two 0-0 draws against Liverpool. In the extra time, however, Dirk Kuyt scored a decisive late goal. In the UEFA Cup, where Standard dropped down to, they beat Everton in the qualifying phase, which caused Everton to pay £15 million for playmaker Marouane Fellaini, the highest ever fee paid for a Belgian player. In the UEFA Cup proper, Standard reached the Round of 32, where they were knocked out of the competition by Braga of Portugal.
Squad
[edit]Goalkeepers
[edit]Defenders
[edit]Dante
Thomas Phibel
Alexandre Jansen Da Silva
Mohamed Sarr
Digão
Oguchi Onyewu
Tomislav Mikulić
Marcos Camozzato
Landry Mulemo
Marco Ingrao
Eliaquim Mangala
Midfielders
[edit]Réginal Goreux
Wilfried Dalmat
Jonathan Walasiak
Axel Witsel
Steven Defour (C)
Salim Tuama
Benjamin Nicaise
Marouane Fellaini
Mehdi Carcela