title: 2008–09 in Italian football
text: # 2008–09 in Italian football
  
  The 2008–09 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Italy.
  
  ## Overview
  
  * Chievo made their return to Serie A after just one season in the second tier.
  * Sassuolo made their debut in Serie B.
  
  ## Events
  
  * June 26, 2008 – Marcello Lippi was appointed as Italy coach, replacing Roberto Donadoni.
  * August 31, 2008 - Serie A season began.
  
  ## National team
  
  Italy played the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Italy also be participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup in mid-to-late June, 2009.
  
  | Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Italy scorers |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | August 20, 2008 | Stade du Ray, Nice (N) | Austria | 2–2 | F | Alberto Gilardino, Ramazan Özcan (own goal) |
  | September 6, 2008 | Neo GSP Stadium, Nicosia (A) | Cyprus | 2–1 | WCQ | Antonio Di Natale (2) |
  | September 10, 2008 | Stadio Friuli, Udine (H) | Georgia | 2–0 | WCQ | Daniele De Rossi (2) |
  | October 11, 2008 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia (A) | Bulgaria | 0–0 | WCQ | |
  | October 15, 2008 | Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce (H) | Montenegro | 2–1 | WCQ | Alberto Aquilani (2) |
  | February 11, 2009 | Emirates Stadium, London (N) | Brazil | 0–2 | F | |
  | March 28, 2009 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica (A) | Montenegro | 2–0 | WCQ | Andrea Pirlo, Giampaolo Pazzini |
  | April 1, 2009 | Stadio San Nicola, Bari (H) | Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | WCQ | Vincenzo Iaquinta |
  | June 6, 2009 | Arena Garibaldi - Stadio Romeo Anconetani, Pisa (H) | Northern Ireland | | F | |
  
  ### Key
  
  * H = Home match
  * A = Away match
  * N = Neutral site
  * WCQ = World Cup Qualifier
  * F = friendly
  
  ## Honours
  
  | Competition | Winner |
  | - | - |
  | Serie A | Inter |
  | Coppa Italia | Lazio |
  | Serie B | Bari |
  | Lega Pro Prima Divisione - A | Cesena |
  | Lega Pro Prima Divisione - B | Gallipoli |
  | Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - A | Varese |
  | Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - B | Figline |
  | Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - C | Cosenza |
  | Coppa Italia Lega Pro | Sorrento |
  | Serie D | Girone A: Biellese Girone B: P.B. Vercelli Girone C: Sacilese Girone D: Crociati Noceto Girone E: Sporting Lucchese Girone F: Pro Vasto Girone G: Villacidrese Girone H: Brindisi Girone I: Siracusa |
  | Eccellenza Regionale | See winners |
  | Italian Super Cup | Inter |
  
  ## Transfer deals
  
  * List of Italian football transfers Summer 2008
  
  ## Deaths
  
  * July 15, 2008 — Gionata Mingozzi, 23, Treviso midfielder, killed in a car crash.
  * August 2, 2008 — Gianni De Rosa, 51, former Napoli and Palermo striker, and Serie B 1980–81 topscorer, killed in a car crash.
  * August 3, 2008 — Toni Allemann, 72, former Serie A striker with Mantova between 1961 and 1963, killed by a heart attack.
  * August 17, 2008 — Franco Sensi, 82, Roma chairman and owner.
  * August 25, 2008 — Mario Tortul, 77, former attacking wing with 252 appearances and 69 goals in the Italian Serie A in the 1950s, uncle of Fabio Capello.
  * September 27, 2008 — Dino Mio, 85, chairman and owner of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Portosummaga.
  * November 8, 2008 — Régis Genaux, 35, Belgian former footballer, Udinese player between 1997 and 2003, killed by a heart attack caused by pulmonary embolism.
  * February 22, 2009 — Candido Cannavò, 78, popular Italian sports and football journalist, editor-in-chief of La Gazzetta dello Sport between 1983 and 2002.
  * March 20, 2009 — Pietro Arvedi D'Emilei, 79, president of Hellas Verona until January 2009, died of injuries sustained in a car crash in his way back from a league game on December 21, 2008.
  * April 20, 2009 — Franco Rotella, 42, former Serie A player with Genoa between 1983 and 1991, killed by leukemia.
  