# 2008 Club Olimpia season

The following is a summary of the 2008 season by Paraguayan football (soccer) club Olimpia Asunción.
Olimpia participated in the following competitions in 2008: Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura (pertaining to the Paraguayan first division) and the Copa Sudamericana. In December, Eduardo Delmás was elected as the club's new president replacing Oscar Paciello.

## Torneo Apertura 2008

Olimpia started the year 2008 with the announcement of a new coach, Argentine Gustavo Costas who promised the use and promotion of the youth division players. The main signing for the year was that of Paraguayan international Carlos Humberto Paredes from Sporting Lisboa. Paredes returned to his home club Olimpia after playing for 8 years in Europe.

### Team roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | URU | Leonardo Bordad |
| 2 | DF | URU | Diego Ciz |
| 3 | DF | PAR | Héctor Benítez |
| 4 | DF | ARG | Martín Pautasso |
| 5 | DF | PAR | César Zayas |
| 6 | MF | PAR | David Villalba |
| 7 | FW | ARG | Emanuel Fernandes |
| 8 | MF | PAR | Rodrigo Rojas |
| 9 | FW | PAR | Raúl Amarilla |
| 10 | FW | PAR | Edison Giménez |
| 11 | FW | PAR | Gilberto Palacios |
| 12 | GK | PAR | Rodrigo Romero |
| 13 | MF | PAR | Carlos Paredes (captain) |
| 14 | MF | PAR | Orlando Bordón |
| 15 | MF | PAR | Milton Benítez |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | MF | PAR | Cristian Martínez |
| 17 | MF | PAR | Ángel Ortíz |
| 18 | FW | PAR | Juvenal Cardozo |
| 19 | DF | PAR | Oscar Jiménez |
| 20 | FW | PAR | Amílcar Franco |
| 21 | DF | PAR | Michel Godoy |
| 22 | MF | PAR | Osmar Molinas |
| 23 | MF | PAR | Rolando Renaut |
| 24 | MF | PAR | Mauro Monges |
| 25 | MF | PAR | Nicolás Martínez |
| -- | GK | PAR | Blas Hermosilla |
| -- | DF | PAR | Adalberto Benítez |
| -- | DF | PAR | Luis Prieto |
| -- | FW | URU | Martín García |
| -- | DF | PAR | Gilberto Velázquez |
* Coach: Gustavo Costas

### Final standing

| Team | Pts | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | DIFF |
| 1 Libertad | 57 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 13 | +40 |
| 2 Nacional | 45 | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 25 | +20 |
| 3 Cerro Porteño | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 26 | +8 |
| 4 Guaraní | 36 | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 26 | +5 |
| 5 Club 2 de Mayo | 31 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 27 | 26 | +1 |
| 6 Sol de América | 27 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 40 | 39 | +1 |
| 7 Club 3 de febrero | 27 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 32 | 40 | -8 |
| 8 Olimpia | 26 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 32 | -9 |
| 9 Sportivo Luqueño | 25 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 33 | 44 | -11 |
| 10 Tacuary | 23 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 34 | -10 |
| 11 Club 12 de Octubre | 20 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 40 | -11 |
| 12 Silvio Pettirossi | 13 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 47 | -26 |

### Results

Torneo Apertura 2008 :
| Matchday | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Olimpia Goal(s) |
| 1 | Olimpia | 0 - 1 | Nacional | - |
| 2 | Tacuary | 1 - 2 | Olimpia | E. Giménez 5' C. Paredes 57' |
| 3 | Olimpia | 1 - 0 | 2 de Mayo | C. Paredes 7' |
| 4 | 12 de Octubre | 1 - 2 | Olimpia | E. Giménez 45', 46' |
| 5 | Olimpia | 2 - 1 | 3 de Febrero | E. Giménez 55' R. Rojas 80' |
| 6 | Cerro Porteño | 1 - 0 | Olimpia | - |
| 7 | Olimpia | 3 - 3 | Silvio Pettirossi | R. Rojas 38' E. Francou 59' E. Giménez 75' (P.K.) |
| 8 | Libertad | 1 - 0 | Olimpia | - |
| 9 | Olimpia | 0 - 2 | Guaraní | - |
| 10 | Olimpia | 0 - 1 | Sol de América | - |
| 11 | Sportivo Luqueño | 0 - 1 | Olimpia | R. Amarilla 50' |
| 12 | Nacional | 4 - 0 | Olimpia | - |
| 13 | Olimpia | 2 - 2 | Tacuary | E. Francou 11' C. Zayas 45' |
| 14 | 2 de Mayo | 0 - 1 | Olimpia | R. Amarilla 45' |
| 15 | Olimpia | 0-0 | 12 de Octubre | - |
| 16 | 3 de Febrero | 3-1 | Olimpia | N. Martinez 51' |
| 17 | Olimpia | 1-2 | Cerro Porteño | C. Paredes 15' |
| 18 | Silvio Pettirossi | 2-3 | Olimpia | E. Giménez 1' N. Martinez 31' A. Villasanti 89' (O.G.) |
| 19 | Olimpia | 1-2 | Libertad | E. Giménez 36' |
| 20 | Guaraní | 2-0 | Olimpia | - |
| 21 | Sol de América | 2-2 | Olimpia | E. Giménez 11' G. Velázquez 88' |
| 22 | Olimpia | 1 - 1 | Sportivo Luqueño | E. Giménez 48' |

### Top scorers

Top scorers for Olimpia in the Apertura tournament:
| Position | Player | Goals |
| 1 | Edison Giménez | 9 |
| 2 | Carlos Humberto Paredes | 3 |
| 3 | Raúl Amarilla | 2 |
| 3 | Emanuel Fernandes | 2 |
| 3 | Nicolás Martinez | 2 |
| 3 | Rodrigo Rojas | 2 |
| 7 | Gilberto Velázquez | 1 |
| 7 | César Zayas | 1 |
Hellboy

## Torneo Clausura 2008

For the Clausura tournament the club hired the requested players by coach Gustavo Costas to fight for the title. However, poor performances and results both in the Paraguayan first division and Copa Sudamericana tournament resulted in the resignation of the Argentine coach on August 28. On the next day, Paraguayan Ever Hugo Almeida was chosen as the new coach of Olimpia, marking his return to the club since the 1993 season where he won the first division title in undefeated fashion.

### Transfers

The following transfers occurred prior to the start of the Clausura tournament:
In:
* Denis Caniza From Cruz Azul
* Jose Ramirez From Olimpo
* Franco Mendoza From C.A. Huracán
* Edgar Daniel González From Estudiantes LP
* Juan Manuel Lucero From CD Cobresal
* Cristian Leiva From Charleroi SC
* Derlis Cardozo From Club Libertad
* Ever Caballero From 12 de Octubre
* Marco Lazaga From Sportivo Luqueño
* Darío Caballero From Deportivo Quito
* Matías Espíndola From Sportivo Patria
Out:
* Angel Ortiz To Club Guaraní
* Gilberto Palacios To Club Guaraní
* David Villalba To Deportes Tolima
* Emanuel Fernandes To Vélez Sársfield
* Rolando Renaut To 12 de Octubre
* Leonardo Bordad To Sol de America
* Ricardo Dominguez To Cruz Azul Hidalgo
* Michel Godoy To 3 de Febrero
* Rodrigo Romero To 3 de Febrero
* Milton Benítez To 3 de Febrero
* Mauro Monges Retired
* Juvenal Cardozo To Guabirá
* Martín García To Defensor Sporting

### Team roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ARG | José Ramírez |
| 2 | DF | URU | Diego Ciz |
| 3 | DF | PAR | Héctor Benítez |
| 4 | DF | PAR | Darío Caballero |
| 5 | DF | PAR | Gilberto Velázquez |
| 6 | MF | PAR | Edgar González |
| 7 | FW | ARG | Matías Espíndola |
| 8 | MF | PAR | Rodrigo Rojas |
| 9 | FW | PAR | Marco Lazaga |
| 10 | FW | PAR | Edison Giménez |
| 11 | FW | PAR | José Sasiain |
| 12 | GK | PAR | Ever Caballero |
| 13 | MF | PAR | Carlos Paredes (captain) |
| 14 | FW | ARG | Juan Lucero |
| 15 | MF | PAR | Cristian Martínez |
| 16 | DF | PAR | Derlis Cardozo |
| 17 | GK | PAR | Blas Hermosilla |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | MF | ARG | Cristian Leiva |
| 19 | DF | ARG | Martín Pautasso |
| 20 | DF | PAR | Denis Caniza |
| 21 | DF | PAR | César Zayas |
| 22 | MF | PAR | Osmar Molinas |
| 23 | FW | ARG | Franco Mendoza |
| 24 | DF | PAR | Juan Krone |
| 25 | MF | PAR | Nicolás Martínez |
| — | FW | PAR | Raúl Amarilla |
| — | DF | PAR | Adalberto Benítez |
| — | MF | PAR | Orlando Bordón |
| — | DF | PAR | Blas Cáceres |
| — | FW | PAR | Amílcar Franco |
| — | DF | PAR | Oscar Jiménez |
| — | DF | PAR | Luis Prieto |
* Last Updated: August, 2008. * Players List(in Spanish)

### Final standing

| Pos | Team | Pts | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 1 | Libertad | 44 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 35 | 17 | +18 |
| 2 | Guaraní | 43 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 17 | +19 |
| 3 | Cerro Porteño | 37 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 26 | +6 |
| 4 | Sol de América | 36 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 30 | +7 |
| 5 | Nacional | 32 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 22 | +1 |
| 6 | Tacuary | 31 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 23 | 24 | -1 |
| 7 | Olimpia | 28 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 33 | 31 | +2 |
| 8 | 12 de Octubre | 28 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 27 | 33 | -6 |
| 9 | 3 de Febrero | 24 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 31 | -4 |
| 10 | Sportivo Luqueño | 24 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 38 | -11 |
| 11 | 2 de Mayo | 22 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 33 | -7 |
| 12 | Silvio Pettirossi | 9 | 22 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 39 | -24 |
* Last Updated: December, 2008 *League Stats (in Spanish)

### Results

Torneo Clausura 2008 :
| Matchday | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Olimpia Goal(s) |
| 1 | Olimpia | 0 - 0 | Nacional | - |
| 2 | Sol de América | 4 - 3 | Olimpia | F. Mendoza 35' C. Leiva 47' J. Krone 55' |
| 3 | Olimpia | 4 - 0 | Silvio Pettirossi | F. Mendoza 7', 23' N. Martínez 51' M. Lazaga 62' |
| 4 | 3 de Febrero | 2 - 0 | Olimpia | |
| 5 | Olimpia | 0 - 2 | Guaraní | |
| 6 | Cerro Porteño | 1 - 0 | Olimpia | |
| 7 | Olimpia | 2 - 1 | Sportivo Luqueño | M. Lazaga 6', 62' |
| 8 | Libertad | 1 - 1 | Olimpia | J. Lucero 64' |
| 9 | Olimpia | 1 - 3 | Tacuary | M. Lazaga 13' |
| 10 | Olimpia | 3 - 1 | 12 de Octubre | M. Lazaga 25' R. Rojas 68' E. González 75' |
| 11 | 2 de Mayo | 1 - 1 | Olimpia | D. Caballero 39' |
| 12 | Nacional | 1 - 1 | Olimpia | M. Lazaga 38' |
| 13 | Olimpia | 1 - 1 | Sol de América | C. Paredes 34' |
| 14 | Silvio Pettirossi | 2 - 3 | Olimpia | C. Paredes 5' M. Lazaga 42', 47' |
| 15 | Olimpia | 2 - 0 | 3 de Febrero | M. Pautasso 33' R. Rojas 57' |
| 16 | Guaraní | 1 - 1 | Olimpia | D. Caballero 94' |
| 17 | Olimpia | 1 - 3 | Cerro Porteño | M. Lazaga 34' |
| 18 | Sportivo Luqueño | 1 - 2 | Olimpia | O. Molinas 9' C. Álvarez 90' |
| 19 | Olimpia | 1 - 2 | Libertad | E. Giménez 60' |
| 20 | Tacuary | 1 - 1 | Olimpia | R. Amarilla 77' |
| 21 | 12 de Octubre | 0 - 3 | Olimpia | F. Mendoza 45' R. Rojas 67' J. Candia 60' (O.G.) |
| 22 | Olimpia | 2 - 3 | 2 de Mayo | D. Cardozo 6' E. Giménez 36' |

### Top scorers

Top scorers for Olimpia in the Clausura tournament.
| Position | Player | Goals |
| 1 | Marco Lazaga | 9 |
| 2 | Franco Mendoza | 4 |
| 3 | Rodrigo Rojas | 4 |
| 4 | Carlos Paredes | 2 |
| 4 | Edison Giménez | 2 |
| 4 | Darío Caballero | 2 |
| 7 |
| 7 | Cristian Leiva | 1 |
| 7 | Martin Albano Pautasso | 1 |
| 7 | Juan Krone | 1 |
| 7 | Nicolás Martínez | 1 |
| 7 | Juan Lucero | 1 |
| 7 | Edgar González | 1 |
| 7 | Raúl Amarilla | 1 |
| 7 | Osmar Molinas | 1 |
| 7 | Derlis Cardozo | 1 |
| 7 | Cristian Álvarez | 1 |
* Last Updated:December 24, 2008

## International competition(s)
### Copa Sudamericana 2008

Preliminary round
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Olimpia scorers | Match Report(s) |
| August 12, 2008 | Defensores del Chaco Asunción, Paraguay | Club Blooming | 4 - 2 | Copa Sudamericana 2008 | M. Lazaga 3', 8', 26' D. Caballero 22' | Report |
| August 21, 2008 | Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera Santa Cruz, Bolivia | Club Blooming | 1 - 0 | Copa Sudamericana 2008 | | Report Report 2 |
First Round (eliminated)
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Olimpia scorers | Match Report(s) |
| August 28, 2008 | San Carlos de Apoquindo Santiago, Chile | Universidad Católica | 4 - 0 | Copa Sudamericana 2008 | | Report |
| September 17, 2008 | Estadio Manuel Ferreira Asunción, Paraguay | Universidad Católica | 2 - 2 | Copa Sudamericana 2008 | R. Rojas 3' M. Lazaga 60' | Report |