2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division

The 2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division (also known as Liga Esia for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th season of the Liga Indonesia Premier Division. It was the first season for the Liga Indonesia Premier Division as the second tier of the Indonesian football pyramid, following the creation of the Indonesia Super League as the first tier.

Changes from 2007–08 season The Football Association of Indonesia's decision to create a new Indonesia Super League relegated the Liga Indonesia Premier Division to the second tier of Indonesian football for the first time.

For the 2007 season, teams were allocated to one of two groups (with 15 and 14 teams respectively) in the first round. The top four in each group advanced to the second round, or quarter final. The eight teams in the second round were divided into two groups of four, the top two teams in each group advancing to the semifinal in a knock-out system. Champions, runners-up, and 3rd-place teams were promoted to the Indonesia Super League, while the 4th-place team faced the 15th-place team from the Indonesia Super League in a promotion/relegation play-off match. The 14th and 15th-place teams in the first round from each group were relegated to the First Division.

Season overview Twenty-nine teams took part. The season began on 4 August 2008 and the last games were played on 29 May 2009.

The top four from group 1 in the first round were Persisam Samarinda, PSPS Pekanbaru, Mitra Kukar, and Persikabo Bogor, and from group 2 Persema Malang, Persebaya Surabaya, Persiba Bantul, and Persigo Gorontalo. The group winners – Persisam Samarinda and Persema Malang – hosted the quarter-finals, both advancing to the semifinal, again as group winners. In the semifinal Persisam Samarinda beat PSPS Pekanbaru and Persema Malang beat Persebaya Surabaya. The championship was won by Persisam Samarinda with a 1–0 victory over Persema Malang.

Persisam Samarinda, Persema Malang, and PSPS Pekanbaru were automatically promoted to the Indonesia Super League. The promotion/relegation playoff was won by Persebaya Surabaya, who beat Indonesia Super League 15th-place team PSMS Medan in a penalty shoot-out to also win promotion. Persibat Batang, PSP Padang, and Persekabpas Pasuruan were relegated to the Liga Indonesia First Division.

On 12 November 2008, in their match away to Persibom Bolaang Mongondow at Ambang Stadium, Kotamobagu, PSIR Rembang players attacked and injured the referee. The incident began when referee Muzair awarded a penalty to Persibom. Angered by the decision, PSIR players punched and kicked the referee, knocking him to the ground and trampling on him; the bruised official had to be rushed to hospital. A similar fate almost befell his replacement, Jusman R.A. He was chased and stripped naked on the field of play after showing a red card to a PSIR player who committed a bad challenge. The match ended 1–0 for Persibom. PSIR were suspended for two years as a result, but on appeal on 1 December 2008 the suspension was lifted, and their next match was rescheduled. The day after the incident PSIR players Yongki Rantung, Tadis Suryanto and Stevie Kusoi were banned from football for life. Five days later Stanley Mamuaya also received a life ban, and fellow players Stanley Katuuk, Gery Mandagi, and M Orah were banned from football for two years. Muzair Usman, Jusman R.A and match inspector Sukarno Wahid subsequently received a reward from PSSI in recognition of their justice, bravery and loyalty, which was considered to have promoted the image of football in Indonesia.

On 7 March 2009, during a match between Persela Lamongan and PKT Bontang at Mulawarman Stadium, Jumadi Abdi was hospitalized after colliding with Persela's Deny Tarkas. Abdi suffered an injury to the stomach and had surgery on his intestines, but died eight days later.

Teams Promoted from First Division: PSP Padang PSAP Sigli Persih Tembilahan PSPS Riau Persikad Depok Persiku Kudus Persikab Bandung Persibat Batang Persibo Bojonegoro Persiba Bantul Gresik United PSIR Rembang Mitra Kukar F.C. Persigo Gorontalo Persisam Putra Samarinda

Stadiums and locations

Groups

The competition was divided into two groups, based on geography. Group 1 or West Group was for clubs from Sumatera, Kalimantan and the Western part of Java, while Group 2 or East Group was for clubs from the Eastern part of Java and Eastern Indonesia.

Group 1Group 2Persisam SamarindaPersema MalangPSPS PekanbaruPersebaya SurabayaMitra KukarPersiba BantulPersikabo BogorPersigo GorontaloPersikab BandungPersibom Bolaang MongondowPersiraja Banda AcehPersibo BojonegoroSemen PadangPerseman ManokwariPersih TembilahanPSIR RembangPSDS Deli SerdangGresik UnitedPersikad DepokPSS SlemanPSAP SigliPersis SoloPSSB BireunPSIM YogyakartaPersikota TangerangPersiku KudusPersibat BatangPersekabpas PasuruanPSP Padang

Foreign Players A total of maximum 3 Foreign Players may be registered

Group 1 Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Mitra Kukar Germain Bationo Marc Orland Etougou - Persibat - - - Persih Raymond Nsangue Sadissou Bako - Persikab Amos Marah Mamadou Niane - Persikabo Mauro Gaston - - Persikad Jean-Paul Boumsong Nnana Onana Yusuke Sasa Persikota Esteban Busto Esteban Guillén - Persiraja Leonardo Felicia Tong Ely Mourel - Putra Samarinda Gustavo Ortiz Patricio Jiménez Aldo Barreto PSAP Serge Elembe Fallah Johnson Sunday Seah PSDS Anderson Pohos Mahop Guy Osas Saha PSP Noah Romuald - - PSPS Cyril Tchana Henry Njobi Herman Dzumafo PSSB Antônio Teles - - Semen Padang Wanderson da Silva Edward Junior Wilson Stephen Mennoh

Group 2 Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Gresik Brahima Traoré Christopher Ikechukwu - Persebaya Anderson da Silva Jairon Javier Roca Persekabpas Francisco Rotunno Udie Mathias - Persema Christian Lenglolo Seme Pattrick Brima Pepito Perseman Moussa Keita George Oyedepo - Persiba Ezequiel González Cristiano Michael Onwatuegwu Persibo Bessala Varney Boakay - Persibom Antônio Cláudio Aleksandar Paunovic - Persigo Claudio Martínez Daouda Sylla - Persiku Crepin Owang Abong - - Persis - - - PSIM - - - PSIR Evandro Michael Babouaken Roberto Kwateh PSS Angel Vera Peter Lipede -

First round Group 1 Standings

Positions by round

Result

Group 2 Standings

Positions by round

Result

Second round

Key to colours in group tablesTop two placed teams advance to the semifinal

LegendGroup winners and second-placed directly qualify for the semi-finals

Group A

Note : All matches played in Malang.

Group B

Note : All matches played in Samarinda.

Knockout phase

Semifinals

Third place playoff

Final

Promotion/relegation playoff The promotion/relegation play-off match was held in SIliwangi Stadium, Bandung, on 30 June 2009. Persebaya Surabaya, the 4th-place team in the Liga Indonesia Premier Division played PSMS Medan, the 15th-place team in the Indonesia Super League. The winner would play in the Indonesia Super League the following season, while the loser would play in the Liga Indonesia Premier Division.

Awards

Top scorers This is a list of top scorers in the 2008–09 season.

RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jean Paul BoumsongPersikad Depok17 MardiansyahPersikabo Bogor Herman DzumafoPSPS4 Edward WilsonSemen Padang155 Aldo BarettoPersisam Samarinda14 Ezequiel GonzálezPersiba Bantul Brima Pepito SanusiePersema Malang Jardel SantanaPersisam Samarinda9 Agung SuprayogiPersih Tembilahan12 JaironPersebaya Surabaya Mamadou NianePersikab Bandung

Best Player Aldo Baretto (Persisam Samarinda)

2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division

Bron en licentie