title: 2008 in association football
text: The following are the association football events of the year 2008 throughout the world.
  
  News
  
  January 
  3 – Argentine midfielder Éver Banega leaves Boca Juniors and joins the Spanish club Valencia for an estimated fee of €18 million.
  5 – Everton are knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Oldham Athletic, a team from Football League One (third division) as Huddersfield Town from the same division beat Birmingham City.
  6 – Toulouse are eliminated from the Coupe de France by Paris FC, a team from the Championnat National (third division).
  9 – Sam Allardyce leaves the manager's position at Newcastle United by mutual agreement.
  11 – Jürgen Klinsmann is unveiled as the new coach of Bayern Munich, effective July.
  20 – The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Ghana with the hosts beating Guinea 2–1.
  23 – Tottenham Hotspur defeat Arsenal 5–1 in the semi-final second-leg of the League Cup. This was the first time they had beaten their local rivals since 1999.
  24 – George Burley is announced as the new coach of the Scotland national football team.
  28 – Mohamed Sissoko leaves Liverpool to sign for Juventus, costing the Italian team €13 million.
  
  February 
  2 – Frédéric Kanouté is named 2007 African Footballer of the Year
  4 – Víctor Muñoz is sacked from the managers job of Spanish team Recreativo Huelva; Manolo Zambrano is immediately installed as the new coach of the La Liga team.
   10 – Egypt win the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Cameroon in the final 1–0.
   13 – Giovanni Trapattoni is announced as the new coach of the Republic of Ireland. He will officially take up this role in May.
   23 – South Korean men's team won East Asian Cup 2008.
   23 – Japanese J. League Cup winner Gamba Osaka defeated MLS champion Houston Dynamo at the final game of Pan-Pacific Championship 2008 by 6–1, won the champion title of inaugural tournament. The Los Angeles Galaxy won the third place match against Sydney FC from A-league by 2–1.
   24 – Japan won the Women's East Asian Cup 2008 with three straight wins over South Korea, North Korea, and China.
   24 – Tottenham Hotspur win the Football League Cup after beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium.
   24 – Newcastle Jets win the Hyundai A-League Grand Final by defeating the Central Coast Mariners by 1–0 at the Sydney Football Stadium.
  
  March 
  11 – Newport County win the FAW Premier Cup beating Llanelli 1–0 in the final.
  12 – The United States women's national soccer team wins the 2008 Algarve Cup for the sixth time, beating Denmark 2–1 in the final.
  16 – Rangers win the Scottish League Cup by beating Dundee United 3–2 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw at Hampden Park.
  
  May 
  5 – Real Madrid wins the 31st La Liga title after beating Osasuna 2–1.
  8 – Announced that Frank Rijkaard would leave his managerial post at Barcelona at the end of the season, to be replaced by Barcelona B coach Pep Guardiola.
  11 – Manchester United wins its tenth Premier League title after beating Wigan Athletic 2–0 away.
  17 – Portsmouth wins the 127th FA Cup after beating Cardiff City 1–0 at Wembley Stadium
  21 – Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League after beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes in Moscow
  22 – Celtic win the SPL title for the third successive season by three points from Rangers on the final day.
  24 – Avram Grant is sacked as Chelsea manager after just eight months in charge of the Premier League club.
  
  June 
  2 – José Mourinho replaces Roberto Mancini as manager of Inter Milan
  25 – LDU Quito won the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final beating Fluminense 4–2.
  29 – Spain wins UEFA Euro 2008 after beating Germany 1–0 in the final.
  
  July 
  1 – Luiz Felipe Scolari becomes the new manager of Chelsea.
  2 – LDU Quito wins the Copa Libertadores beating Fluminense in penalties 3–1 after a 5–5 aggregate draw.
  
  August 
  8 – Scottish Premier League team Gretna are formally liquidated.
  21 – United States women's team win gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics
  23 – Argentina's men's team win gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics
  
  September 
  1 – Manchester City sign Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record fee of £32.5 million
  1 – Manchester United sign Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75 million.
  4 – Kevin Keegan resigns as manager of Newcastle United.
  
  International tournaments
  
  Men 
   20 January – 10 February: 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in 
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   17 – 23 February: Men's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing, 
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   11 – 23 March: 2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament in Nashville, 
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   4 – 16 May: 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in 
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   7 – 29 June: UEFA Euro 2008 in  and 
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   30 May – 1 June: Baltic Cup in Riga, 
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   3 – 14 June: 2008 SAFF Championship in  and 
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   30 July – 13 August: AFC Challenge Cup, 
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   7 – 23 August: 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament in Beijing, 
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   5 – 28 December: 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup in  and 
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  Women 
   18 – 24 February: Women's East Asian Cup 2008 final in Chongqing, 
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   5 – 12 March: 2008 Algarve Cup in Algarve, 
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   6 – 21 August: 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament in Beijing, 
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   30 October – 16 November: 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 
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   20 November – 7 December: 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 
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  National champions
  
  AFC nations
   A-League: Newcastle Jets
   Bahraini Premier League: Muharraq Club
   Chinese Super League: Shandong Luneng
   Hong Kong First Division League: South China
   I-League: Dempo SC
   Liga Indonesia Premier Division: Sriwijaya
   Persian Gulf Cup: Persepolis F.C.
   J. League: Kashima Antlers
   K-League: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
   Lebanese Premier League: Al Ahed
   Saudi Premier League: Al-Hilal
   Filipino Premier League: Philippine Army F.C.
   Malaysian Super League: Kedah FA
   Qatar Stars League: Al-Gharafa Sports Club
   S-League: Singapore Armed Forces Football Club
   Thailand Premier League: Provincial Electricity Authority FC
   Turkmenistan Higher League: FC Aşgabat
   Enterprise Football League: Taipower
   UAE Football League: Al-Shabab
   Uzbek League: Bunyodkor
   V-League: Becamex Bình Dương
  
  UEFA nations
   Albanian Superliga: Dinamo Tirana
   Campionat de Lliga: Santa Coloma
   Armenian Premier League: Pyunik
   Austrian Bundesliga: Rapid Wien
   Azerbaijan Premier League: Inter Baku
   Belarusian Premier League: BATE Borisov
   Belgian Pro League: Standard Liège
   Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Modriča
   Bulgarian A PFG: CSKA Sofia
   Prva HNL: Dinamo Zagreb
   Cypriot First Division: Anorthosis Famagusta
   Gambrinus Liga: Slavia Prague
   Danish Superliga: Aalborg BK
   Premier League: Manchester United
   Meistriliiga: Levadia Tallinn
   Formuladeildin: EB/Streymur
   Veikkausliiga: Inter Turku
   Ligue 1: Lyon
   Umaglesi Liga: Dinamo Tbilisi
   Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
   Superleague Greece: Olympiacos
   Hungarian National Championship I: MTK Budapest
   Úrvalsdeild: FH Hafnarfjörður
   League of Ireland Premier Division: Bohemian
   Ligat ha'Al: Beitar Jerusalem
   Serie A: Inter Milan
   Kazakhstan Premier League: Aktobe
   Latvian Higher League: Ventspils
   A Lyga: Ekranas
   Luxembourg National Division: F91 Dudelange
   Macedonian Prva Liga: Rabotnički
   Maltese Premier League: Valletta
   Moldovan National Division: Sheriff Tiraspol
   Montenegrin First League: Budućnost Podgorica
   Eredivisie: PSV
   Irish Premier League: Linfield
   Norwegian Premier League: Stabæk
   Ekstraklasa: Wisła Kraków
   Primeira Liga: Porto
   Liga I: CFR Cluj
   Russian Premier League: Rubin Kazan
   Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio: Murata
   Scottish Premier League: Celtic
   Serbian Superliga: Partizan
   Slovak Superliga: Artmedia Bratislava
   Slovenian PrvaLiga: NK Domžale
   La Liga: Real Madrid
   Allsvenskan: Kalmar
   Swiss Super League: Basel
   Süper Lig: Galatasaray
   Ukrainian Premier League: Shakhtar Donetsk
   Welsh Premier League: Llanelli
  
  CAF nations
   Algerian Championnat National: JS Kabylie
   Girabola: Petro Atlético Luanda
   Mascom Premier League: Centre Chiefs
   Burkinabé Premier League: Etoile Filante Ouagadougou
   Burundi Premier League: Inter Star
   MTN Elite one: Cotonsport Garoua
   Cape Verdean football Championships: Sporting Clube da Praia
   Chad Premier League: Elect Sport N'Djamena
   Comoros Premier League: Etoile d'Or
   Congo Premier League: CARA Brazzaville
   Linafoot: DC Motema Pembe
   Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division: Africa Sports National
   Djibouti Premier League: Société Immobilière de Djibouti
   Egyptian Premier League: Al-Ahly
   Eritrean Premier League: Asmara Brewery
   Ethiopian Premier League: Saint-George SA
   Gabon Championnat National D1: AS Mangasport
   Gambian Championnat National D1: Wallidan
   OneTouch Premier League: Asante Kotoko
   Guinée Championnat National: Fello Star
   Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau: Sporting Clube de Batafá
   Kenyan Premier League: Mathare United
   Lesotho Premier League: Lesotho Correctional Services
   Liberian Premier League: Black Star
   Libyan Premier League: Al Ittihad
   THB Champions League: Académie Ny Antsika
   Malawi Premier Division: Silver Strikers
   Malien Première Division: Djoliba
   Mauritanean Premier League: ASAC Concorde
   Mauritian League: Curepipe Starlight
   Botola: FAR Rabat
   Moçambola: Ferroviario de Maputo
   Namibia Premier League: Orlando Pirates Windhoek
   Niger Premier League: AS Police
   Nigerian Premier League: Kano Pillars
   Réunion Premier League: JS Saint-Pierroise
   Rwandan Premier League: ATRACO
   Senegal Premier League: AS Douanes
   Seychelles League: Saint-Michel United
   Sierra Leone National Premier League: Ports Authority F.C.
   Somalia League: Elman FC
   Premier Soccer League: SuperSport United
   Sudan Premier League: Al-Merrikh
   Swazi Premier League: Royal Leopards
   Tanzanian Premier League: Young Africans
   Tunisian CLP-1: Club Africain
   Ugandan Super League: Kampala City Council
   Zambian Premier League: ZESCO United
   Zanzibar Premier League: Miembeni
   Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League: Monomotapa United
  
  CONMEBOL nations
   Primera División Argentina: River Plate (C) / Boca Juniors (A)
   Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano: Universitario (A) / Aurura (C)
   Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: São Paulo
   Primera División de Chile: Everton (A) / Colo-Colo (C)
   Colombian Professional Football: Boyacá Chicó (A) / América de Cali (C)
   Serie A de Ecuador: Deportivo Quito
   Primera División de Paraguay: Libertad (A) (C)
   Primera División Peruana: U. San Martín
   Primera División Uruguaya: Defensor Sporting
   Primera División Venezolana: Deportivo Táchira
  (A = Apertura, C= Clausura)
  
  CONCACAF nations
  
   BFA Senior League: IM Bears
   Digicel Premiere League: Notre Date Sports Club
   Belize Premier Football League: Hankook Verdes
   Bermudian Premier Division: PHC Zebras
   British Virgin Islands Championship: Islanders
   Canadian Soccer League: Trois-Rivières Attak
   Cayman Islands League: Scholars International
   Primera División de Costa Rica: Saprissa (A) (C)
   Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba: Cienfuegos
   Dominica Championship: Centre Bath Estate
   Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador: Firpo (C) / Isidro Metapán (A)
   Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala: Comunicaciones (C) (A)
   Grenada League: Carib Hurricane
   Ligue Haïtienne: Racing Gonaïves (C) / Tempête (A)
   Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras: Marathón (C) / Olimpia (A)
   National Premier League: Portmore United
   Primera División de México: Santos Laguna (C) / Toluca (A)
   Nevis Premier Division: SL Horsford Highlights
   Primera División de Nicaragua: Real Estelí
   Liga Panameña de Fútbol: Árabe Unido (C) / San Francisco (A)
   Puerto Rico Soccer League: Sevilla
   Saint Kitts Premier Division: Newtown United
   Saint Lucia Premier Division: Aux Lyons United
   NLA Premier League: Avenues United
   Sint Maarten League: D&P Connection
   Surinamese Hoofdklasse: Inter Moengotapoe
   TT Pro League: San Juan Jabloteh
   MFL League: Beaches
   Major League Soccer: Columbus Crew
   US Virgin Islands Championship: Positive Vibes
  (A = Apertura, C= Clausura)
  
  OFC nations
   Football Federation American Samoa Soccer League: Pago Youth
   Cook Islands Round Cup: Nikao Sokattack
   Fijian National Football League: Ba
   FSMFA Top League: Yap
   Kiribati National Championship: competition canceled
   New Caledonia Division Honneur: AS Magenta
   ASB Premiership: Waitakere United
   Niue Soccer Tournament: Talava
   Norfolk Island Soccer League: unknown
   Palau Soccer League: Surangel & Sons Company
   Papua New Guinea National Soccer League: PRK Hekari United
   Samoa National League: Sinamoga
   Solomon Islands National Club Championship: Koloale
   Tahiti Division Fédérale: AS Manu-Ura
   Tonga Major League: Lotoha'apai
   Tuvalu A-Division: Nauti
   Vanuatu Premia Divisen: Tafea
  
  Deaths
  
  January 
   1 January – Božidar Sandić (85), Serbian footballer, Yugoslavia international
   4 January – Vyacheslav Ambartsumyan (67), Russian footballer, Soviet Union international
   4 January – Bjørn Odmar Andersen (64), Norwegian international footballer and manager
   5 January – Louis Hon (83), French international footballer
   9 January – Paul Aimson (64), English footballer
   11 January – Frank Loughran (77), Australian international footballer
   12 January – Leszek Jezierski (78), Polish footballer and manager
   13 January – Seyran Osipov (46), Russian footballer
   14 January – Kaj Christiansen (86), Danish international footballer and manager
   14 January – Johnny Steele (91), English footballer and manager
   18 January – Wally Fielding (88), English footballer
   21 January – Billy Elliott (82), English international footballer
   24 January – Jorge Recio (66), Argentine international footballer
   26 January – Celestino Celio (82), Italian international footballer and manager
   27 January – Bengt Lindskog (74), Swedish international footballer
   28 January – Eleuterio Santos (67), Spanish international footballer
  
  February 
   1 February – Władysław Kawula (70), Polish footballer
   2 February – Yiu Cheuk Yin (80), Hong Kong footballer
   9 February – Guy Tchingoma (22), Gabonese footballer
   10 February – Ove Jørstad (37), Norwegian footballer
   12 February – Jean Prouff (88), French footballer and manager
   12 February – Thomas Grosser (42), German footballer
   14 February – Len Boyd (84), English footballer
   15 February – Inge Thun (62), Norwegian footballer
   17 February – Brian Harris (72), English footballer and manager
   21 February – Emmanuel Sanon (56), Haitian footballer
  
  March 
   2 March – Carl Hoddle (40), English footballer
   5 March – Derek Dooley (78), English footballer and manager
   25 March – Thierry Gilardi (49), French commentator
  
  April 
   3 April – Hrvoje Ćustić (24), Croatian footballer
   5 April – Wang Donglei (23), Chinese footballer
   18 April – Erminio Favalli (64), Italian footballer
   19 April – Constant Vanden Stock (93), Belgian footballer, manager, and executive
  
  May 
   8 May – François Sterchele (26), Belgian footballer
   10 May – Eusebio Ríos (73), Spanish footballer and manager
   15 May – Tommy Burns (51), Scottish former footballer and manager
   23 May – Heinrich Kwiatkowski (81), German footballer
  
  June 
   6 June – Victor Wégria (71), Belgian footballer
   11 June – Adam Ledwoń (34), Polish footballer
   22 June – Ron Stitfall (82), Welsh footballer
  
  July 
   13 July – Rudolf Nafziger (62), German footballer
   15 July – Gionata Mingozzi (23), Italian footballer
   18 July – George Niven (79), Scottish footballer
  
  August 
   3 August – Anton Allemann (72), Swiss footballer
  
  September 
   3 September – Joan Segarra (80), Spanish defender
   4 September – Tommy Johnston (81), Scottish footballer
   25 September – Jimmy Sirrel (86), Scottish football player and manager
  
  October 
   October 8 - Chicão, Brazilian midfielder, semi-finalist at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. (59)
   October 21 - George Edwards (87), Welsh footballer
   October 25 - Ian McColl (81), Scottish football player and manager
  
  November 
   1 November – Dermot Curtis (76), Irish football player and manager
   17 November – Peter Aldis (81), English footballer
   27 November – Gil Heron (87), Jamaican footballer
  
  December 
   8 December – John Cumming (78), Scottish footballer
   9 December – Dražan Jerković (72), Croatian football player and manager
   9 December – Ibrahim Dossey (36), Ghanaian footballer
   12 December – Maksym Pashayev (20), Ukrainian footballer
  
  References
  
   
  Association football by year