UEFA Champions League 2008–09
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe
's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League
format. The final
was played at the Stadio Olimpico
in Rome
on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in Italy
and the fourth time it has been held at the Stadio Olimpico
. The final was contested by the defending champions
, Manchester United
, and Barcelona
, who had last won the tournament in 2006
. Barcelona won the match 2–0, with goals from Samuel Eto'o
and Lionel Messi
, and secured The Treble in the process.
Cyprus
's Anorthosis
and BATE Borisov of Belarus
were the first ever teams from their countries to qualify for the group stage. Romania
n side CFR Cluj
and Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg
also made their Champions League debuts.
qualified for the group stage as the Premier League (Association 2) champions.
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2008–09 Champions League:
}
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!colspan="4"|Third qualifying round
|-
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Barcelona
||
Fiorentina
||
Twente
||
Slavia Prague
|-
| Atlético Madrid||
Marseille
||
Spartak Moscow
||
Galatasaray
|-
|
Arsenal
||
Schalke 04
||
Shakhtar Donetsk
||
Olympiacos
|-
| Liverpool
||
Vitória Guimarães||
Standard Liège
||
Levski Sofia
|-
| Juventus
||
Steaua Bucureşti||colspan="2"|
|-
!colspan="4"|Second qualifying round
|-
|
Rangers
|| Fenerbahçe||
Beitar Jerusalem||
Rapid Wien
|-
| Dynamo Kyiv
|| Panathinaikos
|| Partizan
||
Wisła Kraków
|-
| Anderlecht
||
Basel
||
Aalborg BK
||
MTK Budapest
|-
| Sparta Prague||
Brann||colspan="2"|
|-
!colspan="4"|First qualifying round
|-
|
Artmedia Petržalka||
Kaunas
||
BATE Borisov||
Llanelli
|-
|
Dinamo Zagreb||
Tampere United
||
Dinamo Tirana
||
NSÍ Runavík
|-
|
Anorthosis
||
Sheriff Tiraspol
||
Levadia
||
F91 Dudelange
|-
|
IFK Göteborg
||
Drogheda United||
Pyunik Yerevan
||
Valletta
|-
|
Domžale
||
Dinamo Tbilisi
||
Inter Baku
||
FC Santa Coloma
|-
|
Modriča
||
Rabotnički
||
Aktobe
||
Murata
|-
|
Ventspils
||
Valur
||
Linfield
||
Budućnost Podgorica
|}
TH Title Holder
during the 2003–04 season. As a result, Vitória Guimarães were promoted from the 3rd qualifying round to the group stage and Benfica from the UEFA Cup into the 3rd qualifying round. However, after Porto appealed the decision, the decision was referred by UEFA's Appeals Body back to the Control & Disciplinary Body for re-assessment. The meeting to re-assess the situation took place on 16 June 2008, with the decision being reversed and Porto being allowed back into the 2008–09 Champions League. The decision was taken due to Porto's disciplinary process in Portugal not yet being complete. The disciplinary process has since been tried by all competent Portuguese courts with Porto being declared innocent from all accusations and with Portuguese Liga
Disciplinary Committee heavily criticised by the Portuguese Justice for their unfounded and precipitated actions.
were excluded from the tournament having failed to secure a UEFA licence due to the club being in debt to various government bodies and creditors. Levski Sofia took their place in the 3rd qualifying round.
, Switzerland
. The first leg matches were held on 15 July and 16 July, while the second legs were played on 22 July and 23 July 2008.
|}
In the draw for the first qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
. The lower pot contained the 14 teams from associations 40–53: none of these teams had a team ranking.
Two of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Inter Baku
(Azerbaijan, country rank 42) beat Rabotnički
(Macedonia, 36); and BATE Borisov (Belarus, 40) beat Valur
(Iceland, 37).
Of the 28 teams in the first qualifying round, two survived as far as the group stage: Anorthosis
and BATE Borisov. Each then finished in fourth place.
|}
In the draw for the second qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
. The higher pot contained teams ranked 166 or higher: so each tie contained exactly one team ranked in the top 166.
Three of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Kaunas
(unranked, coefficient 2.640) beat Rangers
(ranked 24, coefficient 66.013); BATE Borisov (unranked, 1.760) beat Anderlecht
(56, 41.810); and Anorthosis
(ranked 193) beat Rapid Wien
(ranked 166).
Of the 28 teams in the second qualifying round, Panathinaikos
were the only one to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
, Switzerland
. The first leg matches were played on 12 August and 13 August, while the second leg matches took place on 26 August and 27 August. The losing team of each match are being seeded into the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round; while the winning teams advance into the UEFA Champions League 2008–09 group stage.
|}
In the draw for the third qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
. The higher pot contained teams ranked 61 or higher. However, the draw was held before the second qualifying round was played, which meant that Kaunas
and BATE Borisov effectively moved into the higher pot, replacing the teams they eliminated.
Four of the 16 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Anorthosis
(ranked 193) beat Olympiacos (ranked 44); BATE Borisov (unranked, coefficient 1.760) beat Levski Sofia
(ranked 80, coefficient 32.644); Atlético Madrid (ranked 67) beat Schalke 04
(ranked 22) and Dynamo Kyiv
(ranked 74) beat Spartak Moscow
(ranked 61).
, Monaco
, prior to the 2008 UEFA Super Cup
the following day.
The top two teams in each group advanced to the knockout stage, and the third-placed teams entered the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup. Based on paragraph 6.05 in the UEFA regulations for the current season, if two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings:
Zenit St. Petersburg
, BATE Borisov, CFR Cluj
and Anorthosis
each made their debut appearance in the group stage.
The draw for the first knockout round was held on Friday, 19 December 2008 in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw was conducted by UEFA General Secretary David Taylor
, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA's director of professional football and Bruno Conti
, the ambassador for the final
in Rome.
The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were both held on Friday, 20 March 2009 in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw was conducted by David Taylor and Bruno Conti. Unlike the first knockout round, teams from the same group or country may be drawn together from the quarter-finals onwards.
Bayern Munich
defeated Sporting CP by 12–1 on aggregate in the first knockout round; the biggest two-leg win in Champions League era.
Manchester United
's 2–0 victory against Internazionale
in the first knockout round was their 21st consecutive undefeated match, a record surpassing Ajax's 20 undefeated matches, set between 1985–86 and 1995–96. The record was extended to 25 matches, ending with a 2–0 defeat to Barcelona
in the final.
|}
, Liverpool
were granted their request that their return leg not be played on 15 April; the match was played on 14 April.
Porto's 1–0 loss to Manchester United
in the second leg of the quarter-finals was the club's first ever home defeat to English opposition.
|}
Manchester United
were the first defending champions to reach the semi-finals since the introduction of the first knockout round in the 2003–04 season.
Chelsea were knocked out by Barcelona after a highly controversial performance by referee Tom Henning Øvrebø
, while Arsenal
's 3–1 loss to Manchester United
in the second leg of the semi-finals was the club's first ever defeat at the Emirates Stadium
in a European competition.
|}
on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico
in Rome
, Italy
. Barcelona won the match 2–0, with goals from Samuel Eto'o
and Lionel Messi
. Barcelona's victory also meant that they became the first Spanish
team to win The Treble. Manchester United were the first defending champions to reach the final of the competition since Juventus
in 1997
, but they failed to become the first club to defend the European Cup since Milan
in 1990
.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
format. The final
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
was played at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the fourth time it has been held at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
. The final was contested by the defending champions
2008 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, and Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, who had last won the tournament in 2006
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
. Barcelona won the match 2–0, with goals from Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
and Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, and secured The Treble in the process.
Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
's Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
and BATE Borisov of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
were the first ever teams from their countries to qualify for the group stage. Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n side CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...
and Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
also made their Champions League debuts.
Qualification
A total of 76 teams from 52 UEFA associations (Liechtenstein organises no domestic league competition) participated in the 2008–09 Champions League. Countries are allocated places according to the 2007 UEFA league co-efficient ranking. The spot reserved for the title holder was not used since Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
qualified for the group stage as the Premier League (Association 2) champions.
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2008–09 Champions League:
- Associations 1–3 (Spain, England and Italy) each have four teams qualify
- Associations 4–6 (France, Germany, and Portugal) each have three teams qualify
- Associations 7–15 (Romania, Netherlands, Russia, Scotland, Ukraine, Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Greece) each have two teams qualify
- Associations 16–53 (except Liechtenstein) each have one team qualify
| Teams entering in this round | Teams advancing from previous round | |
|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round (28 teams) |
|
|
| Second qualifying round (28 teams) |
|
|
| Third qualifying round (32 teams) |
|
|
| Group stage (32 teams) |
|
|
| Knockout phase (16 teams) |
|
| Group stage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid Real Madrid C.F. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
CFR Cluj CFR Cluj CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002... |
| Villarreal Villarreal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community... |
Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
PSV Eindhoven |
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... TH |
Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
Porto |
Zenit Saint Petersburg FC Zenit Saint Petersburg Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League... |
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
Sporting CP |
|-
!colspan="4"|Third qualifying round
|-
|
BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
||
FiorentinaACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
||
TwenteFC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
||
Slavia Prague|-
|
Atlético Madrid|| MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
||
Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
||
GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
|-
|
ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
||
Schalke 04FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
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Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
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Olympiacos|-
|
LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||
Vitória Guimarães|| Standard LiègeStandard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
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Levski SofiaPFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
|-
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JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
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Steaua Bucureşti||colspan="2"||-
!colspan="4"|Second qualifying round
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RangersRangers 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...
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Fenerbahçe|| Beitar Jerusalem|| Rapid WienSK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
|-
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Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
||
PanathinaikosPanathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
|| Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
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Wisła Kraków|-
|
AnderlechtR.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
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BaselFC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
||
Aalborg BKAaB Football
AaB Fodbold, also referred to as Aalborg BK or AaB, is a professional football team of Danish sports conglomerate Aalborg Boldspilklub, located in Aalborg. They play in the Danish Superliga and have won three Danish Superliga championships and two Danish Cup trophies.AaB became the first Danish...
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MTK Budapest|-
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Sparta Prague|| Brann||colspan="2"||-
!colspan="4"|First qualifying round
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Artmedia Petržalka|| KaunasFBK Kaunas
Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga, the top level of Lithuanian football.- History :...
||
BATE Borisov|| LlanelliLlanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg....
|-
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Dinamo Zagreb|| Tampere UnitedTampere United
Tampere United is a Finnish football club, which played in the Veikkausliiga, the premier football league in Finland, until the 2010 season, but is currently excluded from participating in Finnish football. The club comes from the city of Tampere. The current head coach of the club is Jarkko Wiss,...
||
Dinamo TiranaKS Dinamo Tirana
Klubi Sportiv Dinamo Tirana is an Albanian football team, playing in the Albanian capital of Tirana, founded in 1950. They play at the Stadiumi Qemal Stafa which has a capacity of 25,000. Their main rivals are fellow Tirana team KF Tirana.- History :...
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NSÍ RunavíkNSÍ Runavík
NSÍ Runavík is a Faroese football club, playing in Runavík founded March 24, 1957. In 2003 NSÍ participated for the first time on a European stage.In 2007 the club won the Faroe Islands Premier League for the first time....
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AnorthosisAnorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
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Sheriff TiraspolFC Sheriff Tiraspol
FC Sheriff Tiraspol is a football club based in Tiraspol, Moldova. They play in the Divizia Naţională, the top division in Moldovan football. The team is sometimes referred to as simply FC Sheriff and should not be confused with FC Tiraspol, a rival team based in the same city.-History:The club...
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LevadiaFC Levadia Tallinn
MTÜ SK FC Levadia Tallinn is an Estonian football club based in Tallinn. The club was founded in 1998, under the name FC Levadia Maardu. FC Levadia currently play in the Meistriliiga, the highest level of Estonian football...
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F91 DudelangeF91 Dudelange
F91 Dudelange is a football club, based in Dudelange, in southern Luxembourg.Dudelange's team colors are red and yellow vertically-striped shirts, with red shorts and socks.-History:...
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IFK GöteborgIFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
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Drogheda United|| Pyunik YerevanFC Pyunik
Pyunik Football Club , is an Armenian professional football club based in Yerevan. It is one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia. The club owns its private Nairi Stadium in Yerevan, but due to the bad infrastructure of the venue, Pyunik plays its home games in the Republican Stadium of...
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VallettaValletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
|-
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DomžaleNK Domžale
NK Domžale is a Slovenian football club that plays in the town of Domžale. They have won the Slovenian League two times and both Slovenian Cup and Slovenian Supercup once.-History:...
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Dinamo TbilisiFC Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
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Inter BakuFC Inter Baku
Inter Baku PFC is an Azerbaijani football club based in Baku, that currently plays in Azerbaijan Premier League.Inter Baku is a multi-sports club and competes in football, wrestling, boxing, judo and unifight. The football team won the championship in 2008 and 2010...
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FC Santa ColomaFC Santa Coloma
FC Santa Coloma is an Andorran football team, playing in the village of Santa Coloma.It is one of the best Andorran teams in recent time. In the 2003-04 qualifying round of the UEFA Cup FC Santa Coloma were eliminated by Esbjerg fB from Denmark . Argentinian Hernan Walker scored their only goal in...
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ModričaFK Modrica
FK Modriča Maxima is a football club playing in the town of Modriča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.The club was founded in 1922 and it is currently active in the First League of the Republika Srpska. Modriča Maxima won the first place in First League of RS in 2002/03 season, which...
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RabotničkiFK Rabotnicki
FK Rabotnički is a football club that plays at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. They currently compete in the Macedonian First League.-History:...
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AktobeFC Aktobe
FC Aktobe are a Kazakh football club based at the Central Stadium in Aktobe. Current members and four-time champions of the Kazakhstani Premier League, they also won the country's second level league – First Division – in 2000.-Name history:...
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MurataS.S. Murata
S.S. Murata is a Sanmarinese football club, based in Murata, a civil parish of the city of San Marino. The club was founded in 1966. Murata currently plays in Girone B of Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio. The team's colors are black and white.-Overview:...
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VentspilsFK Ventspils
FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....
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ValurValur
Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland. One of Iceland's most prolific clubs it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2011. The club is situated close to the city centre, in the traditional east side of town, at the old farmgrounds of Hlíðarendi...
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LinfieldLinfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
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Budućnost PodgoricaFK Buducnost Podgorica
FK Budućnost is a football club from Podgorica, Montenegro, currently competing in the First League of Montenegro. Its colours are blue and white. FK Buducnost is a part of the Budućnost sport society.-History:...
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TH Title Holder
Porto
On 4 June 2008, a decision was taken to exclude Portuguese champions Porto from this year's competition, after the club was found guilty of bribing referees in the Portuguese LigaPortuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
during the 2003–04 season. As a result, Vitória Guimarães were promoted from the 3rd qualifying round to the group stage and Benfica from the UEFA Cup into the 3rd qualifying round. However, after Porto appealed the decision, the decision was referred by UEFA's Appeals Body back to the Control & Disciplinary Body for re-assessment. The meeting to re-assess the situation took place on 16 June 2008, with the decision being reversed and Porto being allowed back into the 2008–09 Champions League. The decision was taken due to Porto's disciplinary process in Portugal not yet being complete. The disciplinary process has since been tried by all competent Portuguese courts with Porto being declared innocent from all accusations and with Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
Disciplinary Committee heavily criticised by the Portuguese Justice for their unfounded and precipitated actions.
CSKA Sofia
Bulgarian champions CSKA SofiaPFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
were excluded from the tournament having failed to secure a UEFA licence due to the club being in debt to various government bodies and creditors. Levski Sofia took their place in the 3rd qualifying round.
Round and draw dates
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First qualifying round
The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds was held on Tuesday, 1 July 2008 in NyonNyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The first leg matches were held on 15 July and 16 July, while the second legs were played on 22 July and 23 July 2008.
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In the draw for the first qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
UEFA coefficients
In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions.The coefficients are calculated by UEFA, who administer football within Europe...
. The lower pot contained the 14 teams from associations 40–53: none of these teams had a team ranking.
Two of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Inter Baku
FC Inter Baku
Inter Baku PFC is an Azerbaijani football club based in Baku, that currently plays in Azerbaijan Premier League.Inter Baku is a multi-sports club and competes in football, wrestling, boxing, judo and unifight. The football team won the championship in 2008 and 2010...
(Azerbaijan, country rank 42) beat Rabotnički
FK Rabotnicki
FK Rabotnički is a football club that plays at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. They currently compete in the Macedonian First League.-History:...
(Macedonia, 36); and BATE Borisov (Belarus, 40) beat Valur
Valur
Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland. One of Iceland's most prolific clubs it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2011. The club is situated close to the city centre, in the traditional east side of town, at the old farmgrounds of Hlíðarendi...
(Iceland, 37).
Of the 28 teams in the first qualifying round, two survived as far as the group stage: Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
and BATE Borisov. Each then finished in fourth place.
Second qualifying round
The first leg matches were played on 29 July and 30 July, while the second legs were played on 5 August and 6 August 2008.|}
In the draw for the second qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
UEFA coefficients
In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions.The coefficients are calculated by UEFA, who administer football within Europe...
. The higher pot contained teams ranked 166 or higher: so each tie contained exactly one team ranked in the top 166.
Three of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Kaunas
FBK Kaunas
Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga, the top level of Lithuanian football.- History :...
(unranked, coefficient 2.640) beat 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...
(ranked 24, coefficient 66.013); BATE Borisov (unranked, 1.760) beat Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
(56, 41.810); and Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
(ranked 193) beat Rapid Wien
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
(ranked 166).
Of the 28 teams in the second qualifying round, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
were the only one to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round took place on 1 August 2008 in NyonNyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The first leg matches were played on 12 August and 13 August, while the second leg matches took place on 26 August and 27 August. The losing team of each match are being seeded into the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round; while the winning teams advance into the UEFA Champions League 2008–09 group stage.
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In the draw for the third qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients
UEFA coefficients
In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions.The coefficients are calculated by UEFA, who administer football within Europe...
. The higher pot contained teams ranked 61 or higher. However, the draw was held before the second qualifying round was played, which meant that Kaunas
FBK Kaunas
Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga, the top level of Lithuanian football.- History :...
and BATE Borisov effectively moved into the higher pot, replacing the teams they eliminated.
Four of the 16 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
(ranked 193) beat Olympiacos (ranked 44); BATE Borisov (unranked, coefficient 1.760) beat Levski Sofia
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
(ranked 80, coefficient 32.644); Atlético Madrid (ranked 67) beat Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
(ranked 22) and Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
(ranked 74) beat Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
(ranked 61).
Group stage
The draw for the group stage took place on 28 August 2008 at the Grimaldi ForumGrimaldi Forum
Grimaldi Forum, Monaco is a conference & congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform here...
, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, prior to the 2008 UEFA Super Cup
2008 UEFA Super Cup
The 2008 UEFA Super Cup was the 33rd UEFA Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The 2008 competition was contested by Manchester United of England, who won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and Zenit St....
the following day.
The top two teams in each group advanced to the knockout stage, and the third-placed teams entered the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup. Based on paragraph 6.05 in the UEFA regulations for the current season, if two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings:
- higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
- superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
- higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
- superior goal difference from all group matches played;
- higher number of goals scored in all group matches played;
- higher number of coefficient points accumulated by the club in question, as well as its association, over the previous five seasons.
Zenit St. Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
, BATE Borisov, CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...
and Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
each made their debut appearance in the group stage.
| Key to colours in group tables |
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| Teams progressed to the first knockout round |
| Teams that progressed to the UEFA Cup |
Group A
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Group B
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Group C
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Group D
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Group E
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Group F
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Group G
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Group H
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Knockout stage
From the first knockout round through to the semi-finals, clubs play two matches against each other on a home and away basis with the same rules as the qualifying rounds applied. In the last 16, group winners play runners-up other than teams from their own pool or nation. For the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals clubs are seeded based on the results in the group and first knockout stage of the current season (eight matches).The draw for the first knockout round was held on Friday, 19 December 2008 in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw was conducted by UEFA General Secretary David Taylor
David Taylor (Scottish football)
David Taylor is the joint General Secretary of the UEFA.Taylor was appointed to this role on June 1, 2007 after the UEFA extraordinary congress in Zurich on May 29, 2007 voted to replace the role of Chief Executive with that of General Secretary...
, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA's director of professional football and Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti is an Italian ex-football player and former coach of the Serie A club Roma from 14 March 2005 to 30 June 2005. His two sons Daniele and Andrea are both professional footballers...
, the ambassador for the final
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
in Rome.
The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were both held on Friday, 20 March 2009 in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw was conducted by David Taylor and Bruno Conti. Unlike the first knockout round, teams from the same group or country may be drawn together from the quarter-finals onwards.
Bracket
First knockout round
The first legs of the first knockout round were played on 24 and 25 February 2009, and the second legs were played on 10 and 11 March.Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
defeated Sporting CP by 12–1 on aggregate in the first knockout round; the biggest two-leg win in Champions League era.
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's 2–0 victory against Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the first knockout round was their 21st consecutive undefeated match, a record surpassing Ajax's 20 undefeated matches, set between 1985–86 and 1995–96. The record was extended to 25 matches, ending with a 2–0 defeat to Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in the final.
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Quarter-finals
The first leg matches were played on 7 April and 8 April, with the second leg matches being played on 14 April and 15 April 2009. Due to the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough DisasterHillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
were granted their request that their return leg not be played on 15 April; the match was played on 14 April.
Porto's 1–0 loss to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the second leg of the quarter-finals was the club's first ever home defeat to English opposition.
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Semi-finals
The first leg matches were played on 28 April and 29 April, while the second leg matches were played on 5 May and 6 May 2009. As in 2007–08, the semi-final teams consisted of three Premier League sides and Barcelona. This was the third consecutive season in which three of the four semi-final teams were English.Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
were the first defending champions to reach the semi-finals since the introduction of the first knockout round in the 2003–04 season.
Chelsea were knocked out by Barcelona after a highly controversial performance by referee Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League...
, while Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's 3–1 loss to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the second leg of the semi-finals was the club's first ever defeat at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
in a European competition.
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Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played at 20:45 CESTCentral European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Barcelona won the match 2–0, with goals from Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
and Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
. Barcelona's victory also meant that they became the first Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
team to win The Treble. Manchester United were the first defending champions to reach the final of the competition since Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
in 1997
1997 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1997 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match won 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund of Germany against Juventus from Italy.-Venue, date and colours:The event took place at the Olympiastadion in Munich on 28 May 1997....
, but they failed to become the first club to defend the European Cup since Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in 1990
1990 European Cup Final
The 1990 European Cup Final was a football match between Milan of Italy and Benfica of Portugal, played on 23 May 1990 at the Praterstadion in Vienna, Austria...
.
Top goalscorers
The top scorers from the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League (excluding qualifying rounds) are as follows:| Rank | Name | Team | Goals | Appearances | Minutes played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lionel MessiLionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010... |
Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
9 | 12 | 982'44" |
| 2 | Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
7 | 8 | 580'36" |
| Miroslav Klose Miroslav Klose Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German... |
Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
7 | 8 | 680'07" | |
| 4 | Lisandro López Lisandro López Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings.... |
Porto |
6 | 10 | 943'11" |
| 5 |  Emmanuel AdebayorEmmanuel Adebayor Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008... |
Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
5 | 7 | 627'33" |
| Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain.... |
Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
5 | 8 | 688'14" | |
 Didier DrogbaDidier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team... |
Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
5 | 10 | 702'31" | |
| Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... |
Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
5 | 8 | 716'34" | |
| Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
5 | 10 | 717'50" | |
| Karim Benzema Karim Benzema Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability... |
Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
5 | 8 | 731'13" | |
| 11 |  JádsonJádson Jádson Rodrigues da Silva , commonly known as Jádson, is an footballer who plays for Shaktar Donetsk and the Brazilian national football team.-Shakhtar Donetsk:... |
Shakhtar Donetsk FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year... |
4 | 5 | 405'48" |
| Danny Koevermans Danny Koevermans Danny Koevermans is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Early career:... |
PSV Eindhoven |
4 | 6 | 429'16" | |
| Joseba Llorente |
Villarreal Villarreal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community... |
4 | 7 | 436'03" | |
| Evangelos Mantzios Evangelos Mantzios Vangelis Mantzios is a Greek international football player currently playing as a striker for OFI Crete in Greek Super League.- Club career :Mantzios and was signed by Panionios from Kallithea in the summer of 2001... |
Panathinaikos |
4 | 6 | 540'23" | |
| Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of... |
Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
4 | 9 | 540'53" | |
| Alberto Gilardino Alberto Gilardino Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team.... |
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A... |
4 | 6 | 543'52" | |
| Franck Ribéry Franck Ribéry Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and... |
Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
4 | 8 | 743'32" | |
 Samuel Eto'oSamuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy... |
Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
4 | 10 | 810'05" | |
| Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team... |
Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
4 | 13 | 999'10" | |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team... |
Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
4 | 12 | 1055'36" |
See also
- 2008–09 UEFA Cup
- 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup
- 2009 UEFA Super Cup2009 UEFA Super CupThe 2009 UEFA Super Cup was the 34th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions...
- 2009 FIFA Club World Cup2009 FIFA Club World Cup-Play-off for Quarter-finals:-Quarter-finals:-----Semi-finals:-----Match for fifth place:-Match for third place:-Final:-Scorers:4 goals Denilson...