Hibernian F.C. season 2008-09
Encyclopedia
Season 2008–09 for Hibernian
was their tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League
. The SPL season began on 9 August 2008 with a 1–0 defeat at Kilmarnock
. The team were eliminated from each cup competition at the first hurdle, due to defeats by IF Elfsborg
in the last Intertoto Cup, Greenock Morton
in the Scottish League Cup
and Edinburgh derby
rivals Hearts
in the Scottish Cup
. The team was inconsistent in the league, and only squeezed into the top six by a single point ahead of Motherwell
. This led to the resignation of manager Mixu Paatelainen
at the end of the season. One bright spot for the club was the performance of the under–19 team, which won the Scottish league & cup double.
manager Mixu Paatelainen
announced during May 2008 that the Hibs players would only have four weeks off after the end of the 2007–08 season
, giving them two weeks to prepare for the first Intertoto Cup game. Hibs entered the last Intertoto Cup competition at the second round stage. They were drawn to play IF Elfsborg
, who defeated Hibs 4–0 on aggregate, 2–0 at both Easter Road
and the Borås Arena
. Hibs lost a glamour friendly 6–0 against Barcelona
at Murrayfield Stadium
on 24 July.
Hibs then also lost a friendly to Third Division
club Cowdenbeath
. This prompted media speculation that Mixu Paatelainen would resign from his position as manager, which was denied. Hibs then suffered another heavy defeat, 3–0 to First Division
club Clyde, before finally scoring their first goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat to Premier League club Middlesbrough
. Hibs completed their programme of friendlies with a 1–0 defeat against Wigan Athletic
.
, but they lost their first game 1–0 at . The team then bounced back with an entertaining 3–2 win at Easter Road
against , but drew with and lost 1–0 at home to . The Scotland on Sunday
reported after the latter result that Hibs' "lack of quality" was the reason for their poor results. Hibs bounced back to record back to back wins over Dundee United
(2–1) and Hamiton
(1–0). However, in their next game, Hibs lost 3–0 at home to Rangers
. The team then travelled to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen
where the Hibees won 2–1 with two goals from Riordan
.
An international break followed as Scotland
drew 0–0 with Norway
. The next game back was the first Edinburgh derby
of the season, played at Easter Road
. Steven Fletcher
gave Hibs an early lead and it looked as though they would go on to score more. However, the game went on to be a tight affair and Hearts
equalised from a Bruno Aguiar
free-kick. The game finished 1–1 after both teams missed chance after chance to take the bragging rights of Edinburgh. The draw in the derby started a run of six games without a win for Hibs, including defeats by Celtic
(4–2), Inverness
(2–1) and Dundee United
(2–0). In the last game of the run, Hibs came from 2–0 to draw 2–2 with Aberdeen
. The winless run was ended emphatically when Hibs won 4–1 at Motherwell
. Hibs then built on that win by drawing at and beating and at home.
After that, however, Hibs went on another very poor run of results, winning only one win of their next nine league matches. Put together with the early exit from the Scottish Cup
, this run of form increased the pressure on manager Mixu Paatelainen
. This pressure was eased somewhat by league wins against Hamilton and Hearts, which was a first Edinburgh derby
win for Paatelainen as Hibs manager. Despite Hibs failing to win any of their last four games before the split, Motherwell
's 2–0 defeat by St. Mirren
meant that Hibs squeezed into the top six by a single point.
A home defeat by Dundee United in the first game after the split effectively ended Hibs' chances of qualifying for the Europa League. The team then enjoyed some unexpectedly good results, winning the last derby of the season at Tynecastle
, and holding both halves of the Old Firm
to draws at Easter Road.
||||||||||||||||||||||
competition in the previous season, Hibs entered the Scottish League Cup
in the second round. They were drawn at home to First Division
club Morton
, but suffered a shock 4–3 defeat after extra time.
Two decisions by referee Iain Brines
during the second period of extra time were perceived to be wrong by Mixu Paatelainen
. The first decision was to award Morton a penalty kick
for handball by Dean Shiels
, which led to their third goal. The second decision was to award a direct free kick
against Chris Hogg
, which led to the fourth and winning Morton goal. The incident involving Hogg caused him to suffer from headache
s, which eventually forced Hogg to stop playing for nearly a month.
Paatelainen threw a towel to the ground in disgust at the referee's decisions, which prompted Brines to send the Hibs manager to the stands. The SFA
subsequently banned Paatelainen from the technical area for four SPL
matches.
rivals Hearts
in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup
. Hearts won the game 2–0 to extend Hibs' drought in the competition another year. Steven Fletcher
was sent off by referee Craig Thomson
for a lunging tackle on Hearts captain Christophe Berra
during the first half while the match was still goalless. Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen
was critical of the referee's decision, and stated his belief that Hibs were the better side until the sending off.
because manager Mixu Paatelainen
stated that he wanted to reduce the size of the first team squad from 32 players to around 25 players. Paatelainen began this process by releasing four players who had been out on loan during the 2007–08 season
. He also released left-back
Abderraouf Zarabi
, who had only been signed a few months previously. Key midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin
signed for under freedom of contract
.
Right-back
David van Zanten
signed for Hibs, having made a pre-contract agreement to sign when his contract with expired. Fabián Yantorno
was given access to Hibs' medical facilities with a view to him signing when he recovered from a long-term injury sustained whilst playing for , and he signed for Hibs in August. Former Nantes youth player Steven Thicot
and former player Joe Keenan
were taken on trial and signed on in July.
Hibs then trimmed their squad on the final day of the summer transfer window
by releasing Martin Canning
, Brian Kerr
and Zibi Malkowski, but they brought in Dunfermline central defender Souleymane Bamba
. Mixu Paatelainen was quoted as expecting a "busy day", which was highlighted when Derek Riordan
completed a much-anticipated return from .
On 13 November, Hibs announced that they had signed Jonatan Johansson
to a pre-contract agreement. Johansson was included in the squad from the start of January 2009, and made his debut in the Edinburgh derby
played on 3 January. Former goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski
signed a deal with Hibs until the end of the season. Thierry Gathuessi
and Filipe Morais
, who had both been signed by John Collins in the summer of 2007 but fell out of favour under Mixu Paatelainen
, were released on 8 January and both signed deals with until the end of the season.
|}
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
was their tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. The SPL season began on 9 August 2008 with a 1–0 defeat at Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
. The team were eliminated from each cup competition at the first hurdle, due to defeats by IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...
in the last Intertoto Cup, Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
and Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
rivals Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
. The team was inconsistent in the league, and only squeezed into the top six by a single point ahead of Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. This led to the resignation of manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
at the end of the season. One bright spot for the club was the performance of the under–19 team, which won the Scottish league & cup double.
Pre-season
HibsHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
announced during May 2008 that the Hibs players would only have four weeks off after the end of the 2007–08 season
Hibernian F.C. season 2007-08
Season 2007–08 for Hibernian could be split into three distinct parts: a great unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League season that temporarily took the club to the top of the league; a terrible middle phase which saw a long winless run and the resignation of John Collins as Hibs...
, giving them two weeks to prepare for the first Intertoto Cup game. Hibs entered the last Intertoto Cup competition at the second round stage. They were drawn to play IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...
, who defeated Hibs 4–0 on aggregate, 2–0 at both Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
and the Borås Arena
Borås Arena
Borås Arena is a football stadium in Borås, Sweden. It is the home ground of IF Elfsborg and Norrby IF and was opened in 2005. Borås Arena has an artificial turf pitch, Playfoot XM40 by FieldTurf, and has a capacity of 14,500–17,800 depending on usage. Both clubs presently using the stadium...
. Hibs lost a glamour friendly 6–0 against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
at Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
on 24 July.
Hibs then also lost a friendly to Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
club Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
. This prompted media speculation that Mixu Paatelainen would resign from his position as manager, which was denied. Hibs then suffered another heavy defeat, 3–0 to First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
club Clyde, before finally scoring their first goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat to Premier League club Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. Hibs completed their programme of friendlies with a 1–0 defeat against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
.
Results
League season
Having suffered through a very poor pre-season, Hibs were under pressure to get off to a good start in the Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, but they lost their first game 1–0 at . The team then bounced back with an entertaining 3–2 win at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
against , but drew with and lost 1–0 at home to . The Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
reported after the latter result that Hibs' "lack of quality" was the reason for their poor results. Hibs bounced back to record back to back wins over Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
(2–1) and Hamiton
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
(1–0). However, in their next game, Hibs lost 3–0 at home to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. The team then travelled to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
where the Hibees won 2–1 with two goals from Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
.
An international break followed as Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
drew 0–0 with Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. The next game back was the first Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
of the season, played at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
. Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher (footballer)
Steven Kenneth Fletcher is a Scottish international footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently signed to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
gave Hibs an early lead and it looked as though they would go on to score more. However, the game went on to be a tight affair and Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
equalised from a Bruno Aguiar
Bruno Aguiar
Bruno João Morais Aguiar is a Portuguese footballer who plays for AC Omonia in Cyprus, as a central midfielder.After an unsuccessful spell with Benfica, although he contributed to the team's first Primeira Liga title in over one decade, he left the club in 2005, going on to play professionally in...
free-kick. The game finished 1–1 after both teams missed chance after chance to take the bragging rights of Edinburgh. The draw in the derby started a run of six games without a win for Hibs, including defeats by Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
(4–2), Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
(2–1) and Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
(2–0). In the last game of the run, Hibs came from 2–0 to draw 2–2 with Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. The winless run was ended emphatically when Hibs won 4–1 at Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. Hibs then built on that win by drawing at and beating and at home.
After that, however, Hibs went on another very poor run of results, winning only one win of their next nine league matches. Put together with the early exit from the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, this run of form increased the pressure on manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
. This pressure was eased somewhat by league wins against Hamilton and Hearts, which was a first Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
win for Paatelainen as Hibs manager. Despite Hibs failing to win any of their last four games before the split, Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
's 2–0 defeat by St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
meant that Hibs squeezed into the top six by a single point.
A home defeat by Dundee United in the first game after the split effectively ended Hibs' chances of qualifying for the Europa League. The team then enjoyed some unexpectedly good results, winning the last derby of the season at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
, and holding both halves of the Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
to draws at Easter Road.
Results
Final table
|- style="background-color:#AAAAAA; line-height:3pt;"||||||||||||||||||||||
Scottish League Cup
Having failed to qualify for EuropeanUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition in the previous season, Hibs entered the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
in the second round. They were drawn at home to First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
club Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
, but suffered a shock 4–3 defeat after extra time.
Two decisions by referee Iain Brines
Iain Brines
Iain Robertson Brines is a Scottish football referee in the Scottish Premier League. Brines has been a referee since 1989 and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2003.-Controversy:...
during the second period of extra time were perceived to be wrong by Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
. The first decision was to award Morton a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
for handball by Dean Shiels
Dean Shiels
Dean Andrew Shiels is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League. Shiels is on loan to Kilmarnock from Doncaster Rovers...
, which led to their third goal. The second decision was to award a direct free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
against Chris Hogg
Chris Hogg
Christopher Francis "Chris" Hogg is an English footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle as a defender....
, which led to the fourth and winning Morton goal. The incident involving Hogg caused him to suffer from headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s, which eventually forced Hogg to stop playing for nearly a month.
Paatelainen threw a towel to the ground in disgust at the referee's decisions, which prompted Brines to send the Hibs manager to the stands. The SFA
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
subsequently banned Paatelainen from the technical area for four SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
matches.
Results
Scottish Cup
Hibs were drawn at home to Edinburgh derbyEdinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
rivals Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
. Hearts won the game 2–0 to extend Hibs' drought in the competition another year. Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher (footballer)
Steven Kenneth Fletcher is a Scottish international footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently signed to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
was sent off by referee Craig Thomson
Craig Thomson (referee)
Craig Alexander Thomson is a Scottish football referee, who has been a match official since 1988. He originates from Paisley, Renfrewshire.-Career:...
for a lunging tackle on Hearts captain Christophe Berra
Christophe Berra
Christophe Berra is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Hearts:Berra joined Hearts on 26 April 2002 from their youth development system...
during the first half while the match was still goalless. Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
was critical of the referee's decision, and stated his belief that Hibs were the better side until the sending off.
Results
Transfers
There was expected to be something of a clear-out of players during the 2008 summer transfer windowTransfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
because manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
stated that he wanted to reduce the size of the first team squad from 32 players to around 25 players. Paatelainen began this process by releasing four players who had been out on loan during the 2007–08 season
Hibernian F.C. season 2007-08
Season 2007–08 for Hibernian could be split into three distinct parts: a great unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League season that temporarily took the club to the top of the league; a terrible middle phase which saw a long winless run and the resignation of John Collins as Hibs...
. He also released left-back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
Abderraouf Zarabi
Abderraouf Zarabi
Abderraouf Zarabi is an Algerian international footballer. He currently plays as a defender for JS Kabylie in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1...
, who had only been signed a few months previously. Key midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin
Guillaume Beuzelin
Guillaume Beuzelin is a French former professional footballer. He played for Le Havre, AS Beauvais, Hibernian, Coventry City, Hamilton Academical and Olympiakos Nicosia.-Hibernian:...
signed for under freedom of contract
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
.
Right-back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
David van Zanten
David van Zanten
David van Zanten is an Irish professional association football player who currently plays for St. Mirren. He was born in Ireland to a Dutch father and an Irish mother...
signed for Hibs, having made a pre-contract agreement to sign when his contract with expired. Fabián Yantorno
Fabián Yantorno
Fabián Rodrigo Yantorno Blengio is a Uruguayan footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Sud América.-Career:Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yantorno first moved to Scotland when he joined Scottish Premier League newcomers Gretna in June 2007 from Uruguayan First Division club Miramar Misiones...
was given access to Hibs' medical facilities with a view to him signing when he recovered from a long-term injury sustained whilst playing for , and he signed for Hibs in August. Former Nantes youth player Steven Thicot
Steven Thicot
Steven Thicot is a French association football player who plays as a central defender or as a defensive midfielder...
and former player Joe Keenan
Joe Keenan (footballer)
Joseph John Keenan is an English professional footballer, who plays for Victorian Premier League club South Melbourne, as a left midfielder.-Club career:Keenan started his career with Premier League club Chelsea...
were taken on trial and signed on in July.
Hibs then trimmed their squad on the final day of the summer transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
by releasing Martin Canning
Martin Canning
Martin Canning is a Scottish football defender who plays for Scottish Premier League side .Canning became 's record signing in January 2006 after joining from in a £60,000 deal...
, Brian Kerr
Brian Kerr (footballer)
Brian Kerr is a Scottish international association football player.- Newcastle United :Kerr started his career with Newcastle United, but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Despite this, he won three caps for Scotland under the management of Berti Vogts...
and Zibi Malkowski, but they brought in Dunfermline central defender Souleymane Bamba
Souleymane Bamba
Souleymane "Sol" Bamba is a professional footballer who plays for Championship club Leicester City, as a defender.Bamba started his career in his native France with Paris Saint-Germain, but failed to establish himself in their first team and moved to Scotland to join Dunfermline Athletic in 2006...
. Mixu Paatelainen was quoted as expecting a "busy day", which was highlighted when Derek Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
completed a much-anticipated return from .
On 13 November, Hibs announced that they had signed Jonatan Johansson
Jonatan Johansson (footballer)
Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :...
to a pre-contract agreement. Johansson was included in the squad from the start of January 2009, and made his debut in the Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
played on 3 January. Former goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski
Grzegorz Szamotulski
Grzegorz Szamotulski is a Polish footballer.He has had a nomadic career, playing for 11 different clubs in six different countries: Poland, Greece, Austria, Scotland, England and Israel.-Early career:...
signed a deal with Hibs until the end of the season. Thierry Gathuessi
Thierry Gathuessi
Thierry Gathuessi is a Cameroonian footballer.He has been capped once at full international level by Cameroon....
and Filipe Morais
Filipe Morais
Filipe Alexandre Morais is a Portuguese footballer who is currently with Oldham Athletic.-Club career:Morais was born in Benavente, Portugal and turned professional after signing for Chelsea in 2003. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morais joined Millwall on a free transfer, scoring once against...
, who had both been signed by John Collins in the summer of 2007 but fell out of favour under Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
, were released on 8 January and both signed deals with until the end of the season.
Players in
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
 David van ZantenDavid van Zanten David van Zanten is an Irish professional association football player who currently plays for St. Mirren. He was born in Ireland to a Dutch father and an Irish mother... |
Free | |
 Joe KeenanJoe Keenan (footballer) Joseph John Keenan is an English professional footballer, who plays for Victorian Premier League club South Melbourne, as a left midfielder.-Club career:Keenan started his career with Premier League club Chelsea... |
Melbourne Victory | Free |
 Steven ThicotSteven Thicot Steven Thicot is a French association football player who plays as a central defender or as a defensive midfielder... |
Nantes | Free |
 Fabián YantornoFabián Yantorno Fabián Rodrigo Yantorno Blengio is a Uruguayan footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Sud América.-Career:Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yantorno first moved to Scotland when he joined Scottish Premier League newcomers Gretna in June 2007 from Uruguayan First Division club Miramar Misiones... |
Free | |
 Souleymane BambaSouleymane Bamba Souleymane "Sol" Bamba is a professional footballer who plays for Championship club Leicester City, as a defender.Bamba started his career in his native France with Paris Saint-Germain, but failed to establish himself in their first team and moved to Scotland to join Dunfermline Athletic in 2006... |
£50,000 | |
 Derek RiordanDerek Riordan Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003... |
£400,000 | |
 Jonatan JohanssonJonatan Johansson (footballer) Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :... |
Malmö FF Malmö FF Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white... |
Free |
 Grzegorz SzamotulskiGrzegorz Szamotulski Grzegorz Szamotulski is a Polish footballer.He has had a nomadic career, playing for 11 different clubs in six different countries: Poland, Greece, Austria, Scotland, England and Israel.-Early career:... |
Ashdod F.C. Ashdod F.C. Ashdod is an Israeli football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unorthodox name of the team is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod... |
Free |
 Dénes RósaDénes Rósa Dénes Rósa is a Hungarian international footballer, who is currently playing for Hungarian First League club Ferencváros.- Playing career :... |
Free | |
Players out
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Mickaël Antoine-Curier Mickaël Antoine-Curier Mickaël Antoine-Curier is a French born Guadeloupean professional footballer who currently plays in Cyprus for Ethnikos Achnas.... |
Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
Free |
 Dermot McCaffreyDermot McCaffrey Dermot McCaffrey is a Northern Irish footballer, currently with Dungannon Swifts.McCaffrey spent his childhood in Clogher, County Tyrone, and he started his professional career with Scottish club Hibs. McCaffrey made only one appearance for the Hibs first team, in which he was sent off... |
Falkirk Falkirk F.C. Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire... |
Free |
| Patrick Noubissie Patrick Noubissie Patrick Benjamin Noubissié Youmbi is a French football midfielder of Cameroonian descent who currently plays for Kettering Town in the Conference National.-Career:... |
Ayia Napa Ayia Napa FC AO Ayia Napa is a Cypriot football club from the town of Ayia Napa. Club's official name is Athlitikos Omilos Ayias Napas... |
Free |
 Abderraouf ZarabiAbderraouf Zarabi Abderraouf Zarabi is an Algerian international footballer. He currently plays as a defender for JS Kabylie in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1... |
Nîmes Olympique Nîmes Olympique Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997... |
Free |
| Guillaume Beuzelin Guillaume Beuzelin Guillaume Beuzelin is a French former professional footballer. He played for Le Havre, AS Beauvais, Hibernian, Coventry City, Hamilton Academical and Olympiakos Nicosia.-Hibernian:... |
Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... |
Free |
| Sean Lynch |
Falkirk Falkirk F.C. Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire... |
Free |
| Clayton Donaldson Clayton Donaldson Clayton Andrew Donaldson is an English footballer who plays for Brentford as a striker.Donaldson started his career with Hull City in 2002, scoring on his first team debut in the Football League Trophy later that year... |
Undisclosed | |
| Martin Canning Martin Canning Martin Canning is a Scottish football defender who plays for Scottish Premier League side .Canning became 's record signing in January 2006 after joining from in a £60,000 deal... |
Free | |
| Brian Kerr Brian Kerr (footballer) Brian Kerr is a Scottish international association football player.- Newcastle United :Kerr started his career with Newcastle United, but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Despite this, he won three caps for Scotland under the management of Berti Vogts... |
Inverness CT Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... |
Free |
| Zbigniew Małkowski |
Free | |
 Thierry GathuessiThierry Gathuessi Thierry Gathuessi is a Cameroonian footballer.He has been capped once at full international level by Cameroon.... |
Inverness CT Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... |
Free |
 Filipe MoraisFilipe Morais Filipe Alexandre Morais is a Portuguese footballer who is currently with Oldham Athletic.-Club career:Morais was born in Benavente, Portugal and turned professional after signing for Chelsea in 2003. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morais joined Millwall on a free transfer, scoring once against... |
Inverness CT Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... |
Free |
| Dean Shiels Dean Shiels Dean Andrew Shiels is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League. Shiels is on loan to Kilmarnock from Doncaster Rovers... |
£50,000 | |
| David Grof Dávid Gróf Dávid Gróf is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays for League One side Walsall. Gróf plays as a goalkeeper. Gróf started his senior career with Hibernian, making one appearance during the 2008–09 season before being released from his contract.- Hibernian :Gróf, a goalkeeper, started his... |
Free |
Loans in
| Player | From |
|---|---|
| Steve Pinau Steve Pinau Steve Pinau is a French association football player who currently plays for the reserve team of the Italian club Genoa.- Career :... |
Genoa Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
Loans out
| Player | To |
|---|---|
| Damon Gray Damon Gray Damon Ian Gray is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Berwick Rangers. He began his professional career with Scottish Premier League club Hibernian, and has spent time on loan with Partick Thistle. Gray then played for Berwick Rangers for a season before moving to Sweden... |
|
 Abdessalam BenjellounAbdessalam Benjelloun Abdessalam Benjelloun is a Moroccan footballer, who currently plays for Wydad de Fes.Benjelloun, who is also known as Benji, has represented the Morocco national football team. He started his career in his native Morocco, before moving to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian in 2006... |
Charleroi R. Charleroi S.C. Sporting du Pays de Charleroi is a Belgian football club based in the city of Charleroi, in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi plays in the Belgian Pro League and their current spell at the highest level in Belgian football has started in the 1985–86 season... |
| Merouane Zemmama Merouane Zemmama Merouane Zemmama is a Moroccan football player who currently plays for English Championship club Middlesbrough. Zemmama represented Morocco at the 2004 Summer Olympics and was first capped at full international level in 2008.... |
Al-Shaab |
| Ross Campbell Ross Campbell Ross Campbell is a Scottish professional association football player who is currently without a club.He started his career with Scottish Premier League side Hibernian and represented Scotland at the under–20 and under–21 levels... |
|
| Paul Hanlon Paul Hanlon Paul Hanlon is a Scottish footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Hibernian as a defender. He is also the current club vice-captain... |
|
| Abdessalam Benjelloun Abdessalam Benjelloun Abdessalam Benjelloun is a Moroccan footballer, who currently plays for Wydad de Fes.Benjelloun, who is also known as Benji, has represented the Morocco national football team. He started his career in his native Morocco, before moving to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian in 2006... |
Roeselare K.S.V. Roeselare K.S.V. Roeselare is a Belgian football club, from the city of Roeselare in West Flanders. Its matricule is the n°134. It has last played in the Belgian Pro League from 2005-06 to 2009-10... |
Player stats
During the 2008–09 season, Hibs used 30 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.|}