title: 2008–09 AZ Alkmaar season
text: # 2008–09 AZ Alkmaar season
  
  During the 2008–09 Dutch football season, AZ Alkmaar competed in the Eredivisie, playing their 42nd season of competitive football (Alkmaar '54 and FC Zaanstreek had merged to form AZ in May 1967).
  
  ## Season summary
  
  The club won its first Eredivisie title since 1981 and remains the second top flight title in its history to this day. The club secured 80 points in the 34 games under Louis van Gaal and finished 11 points ahead of second placed FC Twente. AZ were knocked out of the KNVB Cup in the quarterfinals suffering a 2-1 home loss to NAC Breda, although they did secure a notable 1-0 (aet) win over PSV Eindhoven in the third round.
  
  van Gaal left the club at the end of the season to join FC Bayern Munich and was succeeded by Ronald Koeman.
  
  ## First-team squad
  
      Squad at end of season
  
  Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
  
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | GK | CRO | Joey Didulica |
  | 2 | DF | NED | Kew Jaliens |
  | 3 | DF | NED | Gijs Luirink |
  | 4 | DF | MEX | Héctor Moreno |
  | 5 | DF | BEL | Sébastien Pocognoli |
  | 6 | MF | NED | David Mendes da Silva |
  | 7 | MF | NED | Jeremain Lens |
  | 8 | MF | NED | Stijn Schaars |
  | 9 | FW | BRA | Ari |
  | 10 | FW | MAR | Mounir El Hamdaoui |
  | 11 | MF | BEL | Maarten Martens |
  | 14 | DF | EST | Ragnar Klavan |
  | 15 | DF | DEN | Simon Poulsen |
  | 16 | MF | FIN | Toni Kolehmainen |
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | 18 | MF | BEL | Mousa Dembélé |
  | 19 | DF | NED | Kees Luijckx |
  | 20 | MF | NED | Demy de Zeeuw |
  | 22 | GK | ARG | Sergio Romero |
  | 23 | MF | NED | Nick van der Velden |
  | 24 | MF | AUS | James Holland |
  | 25 | DF | FIN | Niklas Moisander |
  | 26 | MF | NED | Marko Vejinović |
  | 27 | MF | AUS | Brett Holman |
  | 28 | DF | BEL | Gill Swerts |
  | 29 | FW | ITA | Graziano Pellè |
  | — | MF | NED | Kevin Brands |
  | — | MF | ISL | Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson |
  
  ### Left club during season
  
  Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
  
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 10 | MF | GER | Simon Cziommer (on loan to FC Utrecht) |
  | 12 | DF | NED | Milano Koenders (on loan to NEC Nijmegen) |
  | 14 | MF | NED | Ryan Donk (on loan to West Bromwich Albion) |
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | 21 | GK | NED | Boy Waterman (on loan to ADO Den Haag) |
  | 33 | MF | NED | Gregory Nelson (on loan to RBC Roosendaal) |
  