| Season | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Champions | BATE Borisov |
| Relegated | Lokomotiv Minsk Savit Mogilev Darida Minsk Raion |
| Champions League | BATE Borisov |
| Europa League | Naftan Novopolotsk Dinamo Minsk MTZ-RIPO Minsk |
| Matches | 240 |
| Goals | 621 (2.59 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | |
| Biggest home win | BATE 5–0Shakhtyor Dnepr 5–0Smorgon |
| Biggest away win | 2–6 – 1 game; 0–4 – 4 games |
| Highest scoring | Darida 3–6MTZ-RIPO |
←2007 2009 → | |
The2008Belarusian Premier League was the 18th season of top-tierfootball inBelarus. It started on April 6 and ended on November 16, 2008.BATE Borisov were the defending champions.
Due to league expansion from 14 to 16 teams the only relegated teamMinsk, who finished last in 2007, was replaced by three best teams of2007 First League:Savit Mogilev,Granit Mikashevichi andLokomotiv Minsk.
BATE Borisov won their 5th champions title and qualified for the next season's Champions League. The championship runners-upDinamo Minsk, bronze medalistsMTZ-RIPO Minsk and2008–09 Cup winnersNaftan Novopolotsk qualified for the inaugural tournament of Europa League. Due to decision to gradually reduce Premiere League to 12 clubs (14 in 2009, 12 in 2010) three lowest placed teams (Lokomotiv Minsk,Savit Mogilev andDarida Minsk Raion) relegated to the First League. The two latter teams disbanded prior to 2009 season.
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Position in 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BATE | Borisov | City Stadium (Borisov) | 5,392 | 1 |
| Gomel | Gomel | Central Stadium | 14,307 | 2 |
| Shakhtyor | Soligorsk | Stroitel Stadium | 4,200 | 3 |
| Torpedo | Zhodino | City Stadium (Borisov)[1] | 5,392 | 4 |
| MTZ-RIPO | Minsk | Traktor Stadium | 17,600 | 5 |
| Neman | Grodno | Neman Stadium | 6,300 | 6 |
| Naftan | Novopolotsk | Atlant Stadium | 5,300 | 7 |
| Vitebsk | Vitebsk | Vitebsky CSK | 8,350 | 8 |
| Dinamo Minsk | Minsk | Dinamo Stadium[2] | 40,000 | 9 |
| Smorgon | Smorgon | Yunost Stadium | 3,200 | 10 |
| Darida | Minsk Raion | Darida Stadium | 4,500 | 11 |
| Dinamo Brest | Brest | OSK Brestskiy | 10,080 | 12 |
| Dnepr | Mogilev | Torpedo Stadium (Mogilev)[3] | 3,500 | 13 |
| Savit | Mogilev | Torpedo Stadium (Mogilev) | 3,500 | First league, 1 |
| Granit | Mikashevichi | OSK Brestskiy (Brest)[4] | 10,080 | First league, 2 |
| Lokomotiv | Minsk | City Stadium (Molodechno)[5] | 4,800 | First league, 3 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BATE Borisov(C) | 30 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 54 | 20 | +34 | 67 | Qualification forChampions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Dinamo Minsk | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 62 | Qualification forEuropa League first qualifying round |
| 3 | MTZ-RIPO Minsk | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 37 | +28 | 57 | |
| 4 | Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 50 | 35 | +15 | 51 | |
| 5 | Vitebsk | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 51 | |
| 6 | Dinamo Brest | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 47 | |
| 7 | Naftan Novopolotsk | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 46 | Qualification forEuropa League second qualifying round[a] |
| 8 | Smorgon | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 39 | |
| 9 | Dnepr Mogilev | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 38 | |
| 10 | Granit Mikashevichi | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 36 | |
| 11 | Gomel | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 35 | 47 | −12 | 33 | |
| 12 | Neman Grodno | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 36 | 40 | −4 | 33 | |
| 13 | Torpedo Zhodino | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 31 | |
| 14 | Lokomotiv Minsk(R) | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 50 | −22 | 25 | Relegation toBelarusian First League |
| 15 | Savit Mogilev(R) | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 28 | 61 | −33 | 21 | |
| 16 | Darida Minsk Raion(R) | 30 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 25 | 56 | −31 | 19 |
| Home \ Away | BAT | DAR | DBR | DMI | DNE | GOM | GRA | LMN | MTZ | NAF | NEM | SAV | SHA | SMR | VIT | TZH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BATE Borisov | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Darida Minsk Raion | 0–2 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–3[a] | 0–2 | 3–6 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Dinamo Brest | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| Dinamo Minsk | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Dnepr Mogilev | 3–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Gomel | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–6 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Granit Mikashevichi | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 0–0 | |
| Lokomotiv Minsk | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | |
| MTZ-RIPO Minsk | 0–0 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 6–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | |
| Naftan Novopolotsk | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | |
| Neman Grodno | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| Savit Mogilev | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 3–5 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | |
| Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| Smorgon | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–0 | |
| Vitebsk | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |
| Torpedo Zhodino | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 6–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Round | Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup | |||||
| First round | Cracovia | 1–5 | 1–2 | 0–3 | |
| Second round | Sturm Graz | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |
| 2008–09 UEFA Cup | |||||
| First qualifying round | Legia Warszawa | 4–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | |
| MTZ-RIPO Minsk | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | ||
| 2008–09 UEFA Champions League | |||||
| First qualifying round | BATE Borisov | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
| Second qualifying round | Anderlecht | 3–4 | 1–2 | 2–2 | |
| Thind qualifying round | Levski Sofia | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Group stage | Real Madrid | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
| BATE Borisov | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | ||
| Zenit St. Petersburg | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||