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2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division

Liga Indonesia Premier Division
2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division.jpg
Season 2008–09
Champions Persisam Putra Samarinda
Promoted Persisam Putra Samarinda
Persema Malang
PSPS Pekanbaru
via Play-off
Persebaya Surabaya
Relegated Persibat Batang
PSP Padang
Persekabpas Pasuruan
Top goalscorer Jean Paul Boumsong (17 goals)
Dzumafo Herman (17 goals)
Mardiansyah (17 goals)

The 2008–09 Liga Indonesia Premier Division, also known as 2008–09 Liga Esia owing to a sponsorship deal, 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.

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.

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.


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