2003–04 UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League 2003 /04 was the 12th season of the most important European competition for club teams in football under this name and the 49th overall.
The competition took as last season some 72 clubs from 48 national associations, as Azerbaijan again did not provide a representative. The season started on 16 July 2003 with the first qualifying round and ended on 26 May 2004 with the final in the Arena Aufschalke in Gelsenkirchen, which won 3-0 FC Porto beat AS Monaco.
- 3.1 Group A
- 3.2 Group B
- 3.3 Group C
- 3.4 Group D
- 3.5 Group E
- 3.6 Group F
- 3.7 Group G
- 3.8 Group H
Mode
According to the UEFA five year ranking three teams were set for the group stage of Italy (including defending champion AC Milan ), and started in the third qualifying round. From Spain and England, two teams were each set; two more started in the 3rd qualifying round. From Germany, France and Greece (seats 4-6 UEFA five year ranking ) two teams were also set for the group stage but only one each team competed in the third qualifying round. From the Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey ( places 7-9) was placed a team in the group stage and each one started in the third qualifying round. Belgium, Austria, Russia, Scotland, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine (seats 10-15) sent one team each in the 2nd and one team in the third qualifying round.
This year there was another change in the game mode. The second group phase accounted for, for each of the First and Second in each group for the newly added second round then qualified. Also new was that the losers in the third qualifying round were allowed to play in the first round of the UEFA Cup 2003/ 04 on the first time and thus not dropped out of the European Cup. The third group played as usual in the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup 2003/ 04 on. In the group stage was the following case of a tie between two teams:
Qualification
First qualifying round
20 national champions, whose countries were placed in the UEFA ranking of 2002 under the 28th rank, were drawn together here and play one home and one away match against each other. The respective winners were promoted to the second qualifying round.
The first legs took place on 23 July 2003 on 16 July, the return games.
Second qualifying round
The 10 winners of the first qualifying round, 12 champions of European leagues, which were placed between 17-28 square UEFA ranking list in 2002 and 6 second-placed teams in the leagues between 10-15 square were drawn together. The teams again played 2 Games up to today and the winner went on to the next qualifying round.
The first legs took place on 6 August 2003 on 30 July, the return games.
Third qualifying round
The 14 winners from the second qualifying round, 7 champions of European leagues, which are placed between square 10-16 UEFA ranking list in 2002, three second-placed teams from the countries in the squares 7-9, 5 third-placed teams from countries 1 - 6 - since the Italian third-placed AC Milan was defending champion from the 2002/03 season at the same time, the club moved directly in the subsequent group stage - and 3 fourth-placed teams from countries 1-3 were drawn together here and again played 2 Games up to today. The winners went on to the group stage and the losers played in the first round of the UEFA Cup 2003/ 04 on.
The first legs took place on 27 August 2003 on August 13, the return games.
Group stage
The 16 winners of the third qualifying round were dissolved together with the masters of 9 highly lined up state associations and the second-placed teams from countries ranked 1-6 UEFA five year ranking as well as the defending champion in 8 groups of 4 teams each. For each group, the two best teams were promoted to the next round, while playing on the third -placed teams in the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup. The Group Last resigned from the European competitions.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Second round
The first legs took place on 24-25. February, the return matches on 9-10. Of March 2004.
Quarterfinals
The first legs took place on 23-24. March and the return matches on 6/7 Of April 2004.
Semifinal
The first legs took place on 20-21. April and the return matches on 4/5 Of May 2004.