The 2008–09 Druga HNL (also known as 2. HNL) season was the 18th season of Croatia's second level football since its establishment in 1992. Croatia Sesvete were league champions and were promoted to Prva HNL at the end of the previous season.
The league featured 16 clubs, playing in a double round robin league system. The season started on 23 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009.
Changes from last season The following clubs have been promoted or relegated at the end of the 2007–08 season:
From 2. HNL Promoted to 1. HNL Croatia Sesvete (winners of 2007–08 Druga HNL)
Relegated to 3. HNL Marsonia (13th place) Kamen Ingrad (14th place) Vukovar '91 (15th place) Belišće (16th place)
To 2. HNL Relegated from 1. HNL Međimurje (12th place)
Promoted from 3. HNL Suhopolje (3. HNL East winners) Junak Sinj (3. HNL South third place)1 Karlovac (3. HNL West winners) Lokomotiva (3. HNL West runners-up)2
Notes 1 Hrvace had won the 3. HNL South but didn't obtain a license for competing in Druga HNL, while second-placed team Zagora didn't even requested one. Because of this, third-placed Junak Sinj qualified automatically for promotion. 2 Lokomotiva, as the 3. HNL West runners-up, qualified for the two-legged promotion playoff, which would have taken place between second-placed teams of 3. HNL East and West Division. As the 3. HNL East runners-up Grafičar Vodovod didn't get the license for Druga HNL, third-placed Virovitica qualified for the playoff. However, their board of directors decided to withdraw five days before the first match. Because of this, Lokomotiva were automatically promoted to Druga HNL.
In a two-legged promotion/relegation playoff between Inter Zaprešić (as 11th placed 1. HNL team) and Hrvatski Dragovoljac (as 2. HNL runners-up), the former kept their Prva HNL status by beating Hrvatski Dragovoljac with 2–0 on aggregate (2–0, 0–0).
Clubs
Club City Stadium 2007–08 result Capacity Hrvatski Dragovoljac Zagreb NŠC Stjepan Spajić 2nd in 2.HNL5,000 Imotski Imotski Gospin dolac10th in 2.HNL4,000 Istra 1961 Pula Veruda3rd in 2.HNL3,500 Junak Sinj Sinj Gradski stadion Sinj3rd in 3.HNL South3,096 Karlovac Karlovac Branko Čavlović-Čavlek1st in 3.HNL West8,000 Lokomotiva Zagreb ŠRC Hitrec-Kacijan2nd in 3.HNL West1,000 Međimurje Čakovec Stadion SRC Mladost12th in 1.HNL 8,000 Moslavina Kutina Gradski stadion u Kutini9th in 2.HNL2,000 Mosor Žrnovnica Stadion Pricviće11th in 2.HNL2,000 Pomorac Kostrena Stadion Žuknica4th in 2.HNL3,000 Segesta Sisak Gradski stadion Sisak7th in 2.HNL8,000 Slavonac CO Stari Perkovci Igralište Slavonca6th in 2.HNL1,000 Solin Solin Stadion pokraj Jadra12th in 2.HNL4,000 Suhopolje Suhopolje Stadion Park1st in 3.HNL East8,000 Trogir Trogir Gradski stadion Sinj8th in 2.HNL3,096 Vinogradar Jastrebarsko Stadion Mladina5th in 2.HNL2,000
League table
Results
Top goalscorers The top scorers in the 2008–09 Druga HNL season were:
Rank Name Club Goals Apps Minutes played1 Marijan VukaMeđimurje192720722 Denis LjutaSolin13282291 Romano ObilinovićImotski132824524 Zoran ZekićSegesta, Moslavina11241729 Bojan GolubovićSlavonac CO11241833 PinheiroVinogradar11252090 Ivica ŽuljevićMeđimurje112924518 Ivan LišnićKarlovac101813019 EliomarMeđimurje9241964 Hrvoje MišićSlavonac CO9282396
See also 2008–09 Prva HNL 2008–09 Croatian Cup
References
External links League's official website