2003–04 Athletic Bilbao season
The 2003–04 season was the 103rd season in Athletic Bilbao's history and their 73rd consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football. Season summaryAt the end of the previous season, head coach Jupp Heynckes left his position to return to his native Germany as manager of Schalke 04.[2] B team coach Ernesto Valverde, who also represented Athletic during his playing career, was promoted in his place. Valverde's first season in charge saw a successful La Liga campaign, as Bilbao finished in fifth place and qualified for the 2004–05 UEFA Cup.[3][4] This constituted their best league placing and first European qualification for six years. Athletic were somewhat less successful in the Copa del Rey, suffering a humiliating defeat in their first match at the hands of Segunda División B side Gimnástica de Torrelavega. This marked their earliest exit from the cup since 1993–94. Squad statisticsAppearances and goals
ResultsLa LigaLeague table
Source: LFP
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th head-to-head goals scored; 5th goal difference; 6th number of goals scored; 7th Fair-play points Notes: See alsoExternal links
References
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