Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup during the 2008–09 season. Richie Byrne, Barry Nicholson, Steve Lovell, Derek Soutar, Dave Bus, Jonathan Smith, , Alan Maybury, Jackie McNamara and Dan Smith all left the club, mostly on Bosman transfers, and Josh Walker returned down South to Middlesbrough. On 5 July 2008, Karim Touzani returned to his native homeland of Netherlands to sign for Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam.