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The 2008 Armenian Premier League season (known as the STAR National Football League for sponsorship reasons) is the eighteenth since its establishment, and started on 6 April 2008. The last matches to be played are scheduled for 15 November 2008. FC Pyunik are the defending champions. The Yerevan side won their seventh consecutive league title the past season, their tenth overall. FC Dinamo Yerevan were supposed to be the team to get promoted, but they did not show the will to participate in the Premier League, giving FC Kilikia a chance to stay up another season.
The league will be played in four stages. The teams will play each other four times; twice home and twice away. The champion will be the team with maximum points after round 28.
[edit] 2008 Preview
Although Pyunik remains the team to beat, the other clubs have taken advantage of Pyunik's weakening from selling off its main players and have strengthened their squads. FC Ararat have brought back their former manager Varuzhan Sukiasyan and are looking forward to challenging Pyunik for the title.[1] FC Banants, FC Ulisses and FC Gandzasar have strengthened their squads by bringing in a number of foreign players. MIKA are also a title contender, as Arkady Andreasyan's club is finally using some of its youth on the field. FC Shirak and FC Kilikia are expected to struggle, however, both teams may present surprises as the season rolls on.
[edit] Participating teams
[edit] 2008 Season
[edit] Championship facts
- The first goal of the season was scored by FC MIKA's Brazilian midfielder Thiago Manoel de Souza.
- The first yellow card was issued to defender Hovhannes Demirchyan of FC Shirak.
- The first red card was issued to goalkeeper Mayis Azizyan of FC Ulisses.
[edit] Championship various events
- On April 30th, the Football Federation of Armenia signed a contract with STAR company by which STAR would become the sponsor for the 18th Armenian Premier League season, and henceforth the 2008 season would be called STAR National Football League.[2]
- The fourth round match between MIKA and Pyunik set to be played on May 4th was postponed; to be played at a later date due to the fact that most of Pyunik's players had interantional duty for various Armenian youth national teams.[3]
- The sixth round match between Banants and Shirak set to be played on May 17th was postponed; to be played at a later date due to the fact that Banants sent its core players to train for Armenian U-19 National Team for the upcoming U-19 Euro Qualifiers.[4]
[edit] League Table
[edit] Top Goalscorers
[edit] Results
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
Armenia
