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).

AZ Alkmaar
2008–09 season
Manager Louis van Gaal
StadiumAFAS Stadion
Eredivisie1st
KNVB CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Mounir El Hamdaoui (23)
All: Mounir El Hamdaoui (24)

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[1]

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[notes 1]
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[notes 2]
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)

References
  1. http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/holland/2008-2009/ere/azalk.htm

Notes
  1. Didulica was born in Geelong, Australia, and represented them at U-23 level, but also qualified to represent Croatia internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Croatia in April 2004.
  2. El Hamdaoui was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and represented them at U-21 level, but also qualified to represent Morocco internationally and made his international debut for Morocco in February 2009.
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