# 2008–09 in Italian football

The 2008–09 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Italy.

## Overview

* Chievo made their return to Serie A after just one season in the second tier.
* Sassuolo made their debut in Serie B.

## Events

* June 26, 2008 – Marcello Lippi was appointed as Italy coach, replacing Roberto Donadoni.
* August 31, 2008 - Serie A season began.

## National team

Italy played the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Italy also be participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup in mid-to-late June, 2009.
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Italy scorers |
| August 20, 2008 | Stade du Ray, Nice (N) | Austria | 2–2 | F | Alberto Gilardino, Ramazan Özcan (own goal) |
| September 6, 2008 | Neo GSP Stadium, Nicosia (A) | Cyprus | 2–1 | WCQ | Antonio Di Natale (2) |
| September 10, 2008 | Stadio Friuli, Udine (H) | Georgia | 2–0 | WCQ | Daniele De Rossi (2) |
| October 11, 2008 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia (A) | Bulgaria | 0–0 | WCQ | |
| October 15, 2008 | Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce (H) | Montenegro | 2–1 | WCQ | Alberto Aquilani (2) |
| February 11, 2009 | Emirates Stadium, London (N) | Brazil | 0–2 | F | |
| March 28, 2009 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica (A) | Montenegro | 2–0 | WCQ | Andrea Pirlo, Giampaolo Pazzini |
| April 1, 2009 | Stadio San Nicola, Bari (H) | Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | WCQ | Vincenzo Iaquinta |
| June 6, 2009 | Arena Garibaldi - Stadio Romeo Anconetani, Pisa (H) | Northern Ireland | | F | |

### Key

* H = Home match
* A = Away match
* N = Neutral site
* WCQ = World Cup Qualifier
* F = friendly

## Honours

| Competition | Winner |
| Serie A | Inter |
| Coppa Italia | Lazio |
| Serie B | Bari |
| Lega Pro Prima Divisione - A | Cesena |
| Lega Pro Prima Divisione - B | Gallipoli |
| Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - A | Varese |
| Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - B | Figline |
| Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - C | Cosenza |
| Coppa Italia Lega Pro | Sorrento |
| Serie D | Girone A: Biellese Girone B: P.B. Vercelli Girone C: Sacilese Girone D: Crociati Noceto Girone E: Sporting Lucchese Girone F: Pro Vasto Girone G: Villacidrese Girone H: Brindisi Girone I: Siracusa |
| Eccellenza Regionale | See winners |
| Italian Super Cup | Inter |

## Transfer deals

* List of Italian football transfers Summer 2008

## Deaths

* July 15, 2008 — Gionata Mingozzi, 23, Treviso midfielder, killed in a car crash.
* August 2, 2008 — Gianni De Rosa, 51, former Napoli and Palermo striker, and Serie B 1980–81 topscorer, killed in a car crash.
* August 3, 2008 — Toni Allemann, 72, former Serie A striker with Mantova between 1961 and 1963, killed by a heart attack.
* August 17, 2008 — Franco Sensi, 82, Roma chairman and owner.
* August 25, 2008 — Mario Tortul, 77, former attacking wing with 252 appearances and 69 goals in the Italian Serie A in the 1950s, uncle of Fabio Capello.
* September 27, 2008 — Dino Mio, 85, chairman and owner of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Portosummaga.
* November 8, 2008 — Régis Genaux, 35, Belgian former footballer, Udinese player between 1997 and 2003, killed by a heart attack caused by pulmonary embolism.
* February 22, 2009 — Candido Cannavò, 78, popular Italian sports and football journalist, editor-in-chief of La Gazzetta dello Sport between 1983 and 2002.
* March 20, 2009 — Pietro Arvedi D'Emilei, 79, president of Hellas Verona until January 2009, died of injuries sustained in a car crash in his way back from a league game on December 21, 2008.
* April 20, 2009 — Franco Rotella, 42, former Serie A player with Genoa between 1983 and 1991, killed by leukemia.