# 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 summary

At the end of the previous season, head coach Jupp Heynckes left his position to return to his native Germany as manager of Schalke 04. 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. 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 statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | La Liga | La Liga | Copa del Rey | Copa del Rey |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | ESP | Iñaki Lafuente | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Ander Murillo | 5 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ESP | Aitor Larrazábal | 15 | 1 | 9+6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ESP | Aitor Karanka | 35 | 0 | 33+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | MF | ESP | Felipe Guréndez | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ESP | Óscar Vales | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ESP | Julen Guerrero | 13 | 1 | 1+12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ESP | Santi Ezquerro | 36 | 3 | 29+6 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | ESP | Francisco Yeste | 31 | 11 | 24+6 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ESP | Javi González | 25 | 0 | 22+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ESP | Jesús María Lacruz | 25 | 1 | 20+5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | ESP | Dani Aranzubia | 34 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ESP | Luis Prieto | 30 | 0 | 28+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ESP | Andoni Iraola | 31 | 5 | 24+6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ESP | Pablo Orbaiz | 27 | 0 | 18+8 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | ESP | Joseba Etxeberria | 35 | 6 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ESP | Carlos Gurpegui | 31 | 1 | 29+1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ESP | Asier del Horno | 31 | 5 | 29+2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ESP | Ismael Urzaiz | 38 | 8 | 29+8 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | ESP | Jonan García | 23 | 2 | 7+16 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | ESP | Joseba Arriaga | 15 | 2 | 3+11 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ESP | Tiko | 30 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 24 | DF | ESP | César | 10 | 0 | 7+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | ESP | Carlos Merino | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ESP | Endika Bordas | 9 | 0 | 1+8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | ESP | Oinatz Aulestia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Results
### La Liga
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 3 | Deportivo La Coruña | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 60 | 34 | +26 | 71 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Real Madrid | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 72 | 54 | +18 | 70 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 5 | Athletic Bilbao | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 56 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Sevilla | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 56 | 45 | +11 | 55 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 7 | Atlético Madrid | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 55 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup third round |
* 1 2 SEV 2–0 ATM; ATM 2–1 SEV