# 2008–09 in Belgian football

The 2008–09 football season in Belgium, which is the 106th season of competitive football in the country.

## Honours

| Competition | Winner |
| First division | Standard Liège |
| Second division | Sint-Truiden |
| Third division A | Wetteren |
| Third division B | Turnhout |
| Promotion A | Coxyde |
| Promotion B | Temse |
| Promotion C | Heist |
| Promotion D | Bleid |
| Cup | Genk |
| Supercup | Standard Liège |

## League competitions
### Belgian First Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Standard Liège (C) | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 66 | 26 | +40 | 77 | Qualification to Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Anderlecht | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 75 | 30 | +45 | 77 | Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round |
| 3 | Club Brugge | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 59 | Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Gent | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 67 | 42 | +25 | 59 | Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round |
| 5 | Zulte Waregem | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 55 | 36 | +19 | 55 | |
| 6 | Westerlo | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 52 | |
| 7 | Lokeren | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 40 | 32 | +8 | 51 | |
| 8 | Genk | 34 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 48 | 51 | −3 | 50 | Qualification to Europa League play-off round |
| 9 | Cercle Brugge | 34 | 14 | 5 | 15 | 48 | 53 | −5 | 47 | |
| 10 | Mechelen | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 52 | −6 | 46 | |
| 11 | Mouscron | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 44 | |
| 12 | Charleroi | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 43 | 48 | −5 | 43 | |
| 13 | Germinal Beerschot | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 42 | |
| 14 | Kortrijk | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 37 | 55 | −18 | 38 | |
| 15 | Dender (R) | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 44 | 58 | −14 | 35 | Qualification to the Relegation play-offs |
| 16 | Roeselare (O) | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 33 | 59 | −26 | 30 | Qualification to the Relegation play-offs |
| 17 | Tubize (R) | 34 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 35 | 77 | −42 | 27 | Relegation to 2009–10 Belgian Second Division |
| 18 | Mons (R) | 34 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 57 | −26 | 19 | Relegation to 2009–10 Belgian Second Division |
* 1 2 The championship was decided in a playoff (see below).
* ↑ Genk qualified for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League by winning the 2008–09 Belgian Cup.

### Belgian Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Sint-Truiden (C, P) | 36 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 72 | 29 | +43 | 80 | Belgian First Division |
| 2 | Lierse (P) | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 75 | 40 | +35 | 75 | Belgian Second Division final round |
| 3 | Antwerp | 36 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 55 | 32 | +23 | 61 | Belgian Second Division final round |
| 4 | Waasland | 36 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 55 | Belgian Second Division final round |
| 5 | Tournai | 36 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 53 | 41 | +12 | 54 | Belgian Second Division final round |
| 6 | Tienen | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 58 | 49 | +9 | 53 | |
| 7 | Oostende | 36 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 54 | 51 | +3 | 53 | |
| 8 | Ronse | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 54 | 52 | +2 | 52 | |
| 9 | KVSK United | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 51 | |
| 10 | Brussels | 36 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 50 | 37 | +13 | 49 | |
| 11 | RFC Liège | 36 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 49 | 48 | +1 | 48 | |
| 12 | OH Leuven | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 48 | −2 | 46 | |
| 13 | Beveren | 36 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 47 | 57 | −10 | 45 | |
| 14 | Eupen | 36 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 47 | 63 | −16 | 43 | |
| 15 | Olympic Charleroi (R) | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 39 | Relegation to Belgian Third Division final round |
| 16 | Virton (R) | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 46 | 58 | −12 | 39 | Relegation to Belgian Third Division final round |
| 17 | Hamme (R) | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 48 | 64 | −16 | 36 | Relegation to Belgian Third Division final round |
| 18 | Deinze (R) | 36 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 46 | 65 | −19 | 36 | Relegation to Belgian Third Division |
| 19 | UR Namur (R) | 36 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 22 | 89 | −67 | 13 | Relegation to Belgian Third Division |

## European Club Results

Note that the Belgian team's score is given first
As Cercle Brugge did not desire to play in the Intertoto Cup, Germinal Beerschot took their place but where immediately eliminated. Anderlecht suffered a painful defeat to BATE Borisov in the second qualification round of the Champions League, which did not even send them into the UEFA Cup. Gent also performed weak, losing immediately in their first match. Club Brugge got into the group stage but after drawing in every match against mostly weaker opponents, they finally succumbed at home to Copenhagen. Champions Standard Liège however provided stunning football as they came very close to keeping Liverpool out of the Champions League and then dropped into the UEFA Cup where they beat teams such as Everton, Sevilla, Partizan and Sampdoria before eventually going out against Braga in the last 16.
| Date | Team | Competition | Round | Leg | Opponent | Location | Score |
| July 5 or 6 | Germinal Beerschot | Intertoto Cup | Round 2 | Leg 1, Home | Neftchi Baku | Het Kiel, Antwerp | 1–1 |
| July 12 or 13 | Germinal Beerschot | Intertoto Cup | Round 2 | Leg 2, Away | Neftchi Baku | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku | 0–1 |
| July 29 or 30 | Anderlecht | Champions League | Qual. Round 2 | Leg 1, Home | BATE Borisov | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht | 1–2 |
| August 5 or 6 | Anderlecht | Champions League | Qual. Round 2 | Leg 2, Away | BATE Borisov | Haradzki Stadium, Barysaw | 2–2 |
| August 12 or 13 | Standard Liège | Champions League | Qual. Round 3 | Leg 1, Home | Liverpool | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège | 0–0 |
| August 14 | Gent | UEFA Cup | Qual. Round 2 | Leg 1, Home | Kalmar FF | Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent | 2–1 |
| August 21 | Gent | UEFA Cup | Qual. Round 2 | Leg 2, Away | Kalmar FF | Fredriksskans, Kalmar | 0–4 |
| August 26 or 27 | Standard Liège | Champions League | Qual. Round 3 | Leg 2, Away | Liverpool | Anfield, Liverpool | 0–1 (aet) |
| September 18 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Round 1 | Leg 1, Away | Young Boys | Stade de Suisse, Bern | 2–2 |
| September 18 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Round 1 | Leg 1, Away | Everton | Goodison Park, Liverpool | 2–2 |
| October 2 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Round 1 | Leg 2, Home | Young Boys | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges | 2–0 |
| October 2 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Round 1 | Leg 2, Home | Everton | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège | 2–1 |
| October 23 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 1, Away | Rosenborg | Lerkendal stadion, Trondheim | 0–0 |
| November 6 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 1, Home | Sevilla | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège | 1–0 |
| November 27 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 2, Home | Saint-Étienne | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges | 1–1 |
| November 27 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 2, Away | Partizan | Partizan Stadium, Belgrade | 1–0 |
| December 3 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 3, Home | Sampdoria | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège | 3–0 |
| December 4 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 3, Away | Valencia | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia | 1–1 |
| December 17 | Club Brugge | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 4, Home | Copenhagen | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges | 0–1 |
| December 18 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Group Stage | Match 4, Away | Stuttgart | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart | 0–3 |
| February 18 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Round of 32 | Leg 1, Home | Braga | Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga | 0–3 |
| February 26 | Standard Liège | UEFA Cup | Round of 32 | Leg 2, Away | Braga | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège | 1–1 |

## European qualification for 2008–09 summary

| Competition | Qualifiers | Reason for Qualification |
| UEFA Champions League | Standard Liège | 1st in Jupiler League |
| UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round for Non-Champions | Anderlecht | 2nd in Jupiler League |
| UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round | Club Brugge | 3rd in Jupiler League |
| UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round | Gent | 4th in Jupiler League |
| UEFA Europa League Fourth Qualifying Round | Genk | Cup winner |