Valencia had a successful season, finishing in the top four of La Liga, and thus qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in almost thirty years, thanks to the extension of the competition to include more teams from the top leagues. Valencia also won the Copa del Rey, ending a long trophy drought and marking a successful end to Italian coach Claudio Ranieri's first spell at the club. Among the main players behind the success included Gaizka Mendieta, Javier Farinós and lethal striker Claudio López.
At the end of the season, Ranieri left to manage Atlético Madrid; he was replaced by Argentine Héctor Cúper, who had led Mallorca to third place and the Cup Winners' Cup final.
Squad Squad at end of season
Transfers In Pos. Name from TypeGK Santiago Cañizares Real Madrid DF Alain Roche Paris Saint-Germain DF Joachim Björklund Rangers MF Stefan Schwarz Fiorentina MF Gabriel Popescu Salamanca FW Cristiano Lucarelli Atalanta MF Dennis Serban Steaua București DF Oscar Tellez Alavés MF Sabin Ilie Kocaelispor Out Pos. Name To TypeGK Andoni Zubizarreta retiredMF Fernando Wolverhampton FW Ariel Ortega Sampdoria €2.60 millionDF Fernando Cáceres Celta Vigo GK Gustavo Campagnuolo San Lorenzo DF Moussa Saib Tottenham Hotspur €4.00 million MF José del Solar Beşiktaş MF Gerard López Alavés loanMF Marcelinho Carioca Corinthians MF David Albelda Villarreal loan DF Oscar Tellez Villarreal loan FW Nicolás Olivera Sevilla MF Sabin Ilie Lleida loan
Left club during season
Competitions La Liga
League table
Results by round
Matches
Top scorers Claudio López 21 Adrian Ilie 11 Angulo 8 Gaizka Mendieta 7 Stefan Schwarz 4
Copa del Rey
Eightfinals
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
UEFA Intertoto Cup
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Finals
UEFA Cup
First round
Second round
Statistics Players statistics
References