2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26 August 2008 – 30 April 2009 |
| Teams | 24 (from 13 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champion(s) |
 Atlante (2nd title)
|
| Runners-up |
Cruz Azul
|
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 77 |
| Goals scored | 223 (2.9 per match) |
| Attendance | 539,397 (7,005 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
Javier Orozco (7 goals) |
The 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League was the first edition of the CONCACAF club football championship modelled after the UEFA Champions League, replacing the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and overall the 44th edition of the premier football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The championship began on 26 August 2008, and it concluded 12 May 2009.Atlante of Mexico won the championship after defeating Cruz Azul, also from Mexico on aggregate at the Final. They represented CONCACAF in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.
24 teams from 13 nations participated in the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League from the North American, Central American, and Caribbean zones. Nine of the teams came from North America, twelve from Central America, and three from the Caribbean. Below is the qualification scheme for the 2008-09 competition:
Teams in bold qualify directly for the Group Stage.
1 New England was both the 2007 U.S. Open Cup winner and the 2007 MLS Cup runner-up, so Chivas USA has claimed USA4 as the 2007 MLS Supporters' Shield runner-up.
2 Saprissa were both the 2007 Invierno and 2008 Verano winner, so Alajuelense has claimed CRC2 as the 2008 Verano runner-up.
3 Luis Ángel Firpo were both the 2007 Apertura and 2008 Clausura winner, so Isidro Metapán has claimed SLV2 as the 2008 Clausura runner-up.
4 San Francisco was both the 2007 Clausura and 2008 Apertura winner, so Tauro has claimed PAN2 as the 2008 Apertura runner-up.
There was a two-legged Preliminary Round for 16 clubs, with the eight winners advancing to the Group Stage. They were joined by the other eight teams who were seeded directly into the Group Stage. The clubs involved in the Group Stage were placed into four groups of four with each team playing the others in its group in both home and away matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which will consist of two-legged ties. The Final Round, to be held in late April 2009, were also two-legged. Also, unlike the previously contested CONCACAF Champions' Cup, the away goals rule is used in the CONCACAF Champions League, but does not apply after a tie goes into extra time.
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