The season saw a closely contested title race with three teams in contention for much of the campaign. Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille all had a chance to win the title with just a few rounds left in the season.
In the end, Bordeaux managed to clinch the title with a 3-point lead over Marseille, ending Lyon’s seven-year domination of Ligue 1. Bordeaux had an impressive season, with one player being head and shoulders above everyone else in the league!
Le Havre, Caen, and Nantes were relegated to Ligue 2.
The Panini FOOT 2008-2009 set, holds a large 606 stickers. With Bordeaux winning an unlikely title, lets see what stickers we can pull out from this set. Lets get into the top 10!
The Panini Foot 2008-2009 Complete Album
10 – Benoît Trémoulinas Rookie Sticker – #40
Benoît Trémoulinas is a retired French professional footballer who played as a left-back. He was known for his speed, stamina, and attacking prowess, which made him a dangerous threat on the left flank.
Trémoulinas was an attacking full-back who was known for his ability to join the attack and create chances for his team. He had excellent dribbling skills, often using his pace and quick feet to get past defenders on the left flank. He was also a good crosser of the ball, with the ability to deliver accurate crosses from different angles.
Defensively, Trémoulinas was solid and reliable. He was a good tackler, who was not afraid to make challenges and was also adept at intercepting passes.
In the 2008/09 season, Trémoulinas was a key player in the team, making 26 league appearances. His consistency at left back helped Bordeaux win the Ligue 1 title!
The French International has been a consistent player while fit. He struggled with knee injuries, forcing him to retire in 2017. At his peak he was a quality left back, I think this is a nice rookie sticker, especially because he won the season in the same year.
9 – Mamadou Sakho Rookie Sticker – #376
Sakho is known for his physical strength, aerial ability, and aggressive style of play. He is also a good tackler and has the ability to read the game well. Sakho is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is capable of playing accurate long passes to start counterattacks.
In the 2008/09 season, Sakho was still a relatively young player who had just broken into the Paris Saint-Germain first team. He made a total of 23 appearances in Ligue 1 that season and helped PSG finish 6th.
During that season, Sakho’s performances caught the eye of many top European clubs, and he was named as one of the most promising young players in Europe. His physicality and aerial prowess were particularly impressive, and he quickly gained a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense defender who was not afraid to put his body on the line for the team.
He would later earn a move to Liverpool in the 2013/14 season. He then played from Crystal Palace and now for Montpelier.
Sakho is maybe a case of unfulfilled potential, but he has still managed 27 caps for France and has had a solid career. A nice rookie sticker for the collection, but I note, it won’t ever be worth much.
8 – André-Pierre Gignac – #491 – Rookie Sticker from Panini Foot 2006/07
Gignac began his career at Lorient, where he impressed with his technical ability, quick feet, and finishing.
Gignac is known for his spectacular goals, physicality and aerial ability. He is also praised for his work rate and ability to hold up the ball, as he often drops deep to receive the ball and link up with his teammates. Gignac is a clinical finisher in front of goal, with both feet and his head, and is capable of scoring a variety of goals.
During the 2008/09 season, Gignac was in scintillating form, netting 24 goals in 38 league appearances, finishing with the golden boot. He was nominated for the player of the year as a result.
The 2008/09 season was Gignac’s best in terms of goal production, propelling Toulouse to an unexpected 4th position! For these reasons I think this is a nice sticker to have.
7 – Mevlüt Erding Rookie Sticker – #465 & 468
Erding is known for his speed, technical ability, and clinical finishing. He is also known for his intelligent movement off the ball, which allows him to create space for himself and his teammates.
In the 2008/09 season, Erding had a good season for Sochaux, scoring 11 goals, earning a move to PSG the following season.
The next season at PSG, he scored a career best 15 goals for the season. After PSG had significant investment from their new rich owners, Erding fell out of favour moving to Rennes for 3 seasons.
Ever since, Erding has been a nomad, totalling 14 diferent clubs!
He managed 34 caps for Turkey and has been an exciting player to watch. His career didn’t reach the heights that were expected of him, but nonetheless, an interesting rookie sticker.
6 – Guillaume Hoarau Rookie Sticker – #386
Guillaume Hoarau is known for his physical presence and aerial ability, as well as his technical skills and clinical finishing.
Hoarau began his professional career with Le Havre in 2004, and had a monster season in the 2007/08 Ligue 2 campaign.
He bagged 28 goals prompting a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2008. In his first season with PSG, Hoarau made a huge impact by scoring 17 goals and assisting 5 in 32 league appearances and helping his team to a 6th place finish.
At 6’4″ tall, Hoarau’s size and strength allowed him to dominate in the air, making him a real threat from set pieces and crosses. His heading ability was matched by his technical skills, as he was also comfortable with the ball at his feet and able to create chances for his teammates.
In France, he never really replicated this season but he had great success in Switzerland for Young Boys. Over 6 seasons he scored 117 goals for the Swiss team.
A nice rookie sticker. He has never been a world beater, but he has been popular wherever he has gone.
5 – David Ospina Rookie Sticker – #345
David Ospina is known for his agility, quick reflexes, and good positioning. He has a strong and reliable presence in goal, making him a consistent and effective shot-stopper. Ospina is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, and is often involved in his team’s build-up play.
In the 2008/09 season, Ospina was signed from Atlético Nacional in Colombia’s Categoría Primera A. At just 20 years old, he established himself as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, appearing in 25 matches in Ligue 1, helping Nice finish 9th.
Ospina has gone on to play for a couple of the biggest teams in Europe, Arsenal and Napoli.
He has also racked up an incredible 127 caps for Colombia!
He has been a popular player wherever he has been and especially in his native country. A good rookie sticker for the right collector.
4 – Yoann Gourcuff – #44 & 31 – Rookie Sticker from Panini Foot 2004/05
Gourcuff’s playing style was characterised by his excellent ball control and dribbling skills, as well as his ability to pick out a pass and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He had a keen eye for goal and was able to score goals himself from midfield positions.
During the 2008/09 season, Gourcuff was a key player in their title-winning campaign. He scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances in the league. Subsequently, he wont the Ligue 1 player of the year.
Gourcuff’s technical abilities and vision made him a popular player with fans and coaches alike, and he was widely regarded as one of the best and most aesthetic midfielders in Europe during his prime. However, injuries and a lack of consistency later in his career prevented him from reaching the heights that many had predicted for him.
This is a great sticker because of Gourcuff’s personal season. He dragged Bordeaux to the title scoring and assisting at will.
3 – Sofiane Feghouli Rookie Sticker – #95
Feghouli’s main strength is his dribbling ability. He is very agile and can change direction quickly, making it difficult for defenders to keep up with him. Once he beats a defender, he has good acceleration and can quickly get away from them. Feghouli is also an excellent passer and can pick out his teammates with accurate through balls.Despite his young age and limited playing time during the 2008/09 season, Feghouli showed flashes of his potential and was a player to watch for the future.
During the 2008/09 season, Feghouli was just 18 years old and played 26 times. He showcased his talents, earning him a move to Valencia in 2010. He spent 6 seasons in Spain before spending 1 season in England with West Ham.
He was then signed by Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he was hugely popular and won 3 Süper Lig titles.
Additionally, he has featured for Algeria 76 times scoring 19. The Algerian has had a great career and, I think, this is a great rookie sticker.
2 – Andre Ayew Rookie Sticker – #202
Andre Ayew is known for his speed, dribbling skills, and his ability to score goals. He began his professional career with Marseille in the 2007/08 season, during the 2008/09 season, he was loaned to Lorient. He played in 22 games scoring 3 goals. Lorient finished 10th.
Ayew is a player who is capable of creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He has excellent dribbling skills and can take on defenders one-on-one with ease. He is also an excellent finisher and is known for his ability to score goals from distance and has the ability to get his head on the end of crosses.
Ayew played 6 season at Marseille, scoring 60 goals from midfield. He also played for West Ham, Swansea and Fenerbahce. Currently, in the twilight of his career, Ayew is playing for Notting forrest, helping them in their Premier League survival.
Andre has been lauded for his leadership skills, having captained club teams and, still, his national team, Ghana, where he has been capped 113 times, scoring 24.
Ayew is a big name in the game, thanks to his career, having a football famous father and a brother, Jordan, playing in the Premier League. This will be a popular rookie sticker in the future, if not already!
1 – Karim Benzema – #229 & 234 – Rookie Sticker from Panini Foot 2006/07
Benzema is a household name, known for his excellent technical ability, speed, and clinical finishing. He is an intelligent player who has a great sense of positioning and is capable of scoring from a variety of angles and distances.
Benzema is a versatile forward who is comfortable playing in any position across the front line. He is equally adept at leading the line as a center forward or operating in a deeper, more creative role as an attacking midfielder. He has excellent vision and passing ability and can create chances for his teammates with his deft touch and precise delivery.
Before the 2008/09 season ,had already established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in European football. He was already a prolific goalscorer for the club and was tipped for a bright future in the game.
During the 2008/09 season, Benzema scored 17 goals in 36 league appearances. His performances attracted the attention of Real Madrid, who signed him for a reported fee of €35 million.
We all know what has proceeded. Benzema has established himself as one of the best ever strikers and possibly in contention for the best ever Real Madrid striker. Here, his third year sticker, is a sticker that will hold value in the years to come.
It’s tough for a third year sticker to get the number 1 spot, but Benzema deserves it.
Extra Stickers: Benzema #234, Gourcuff #31 and Erding Rookie Sticker #468
Summary
The Panini FOOT 2008-2009 was an interesting set to rank. It held quite a few rookie stickers but no really huge ones to get excited about. Not to disrespect any of the rookies in the list, but they aren’t really top tier rookies.
In terms of the relative set quality of this set to the other France Foot sets, this one ranks on the lower end.
In the end, a third Benzema takes the first spot. What do you guys think of the ratings?
Thanks for reading.