# 1999–2000 Athletic Bilbao season

The 1999–2000 season was the 99th season in Athletic Bilbao's history and their 69th consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.

## Season summary

1999–2000, the fourth season of Luis Fernández's tenure as head coach, was his least successful so far in terms of both league and cup results. It was the first La Liga campaign of the Frenchman's reign in which Athletic finished outside the top ten, placing 11th. They also suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey, losing in the second round to Rayo Vallecano.
Fernández left his post at the end of the season, and Real Zaragoza's Txetxu Rojo was appointed in his place. Rojo had had two previous spells at San Mamés – as a successful forward between 1965 and 1982, and as head coach in the latter part of the 1989–90 season.

## 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 |
| 3 | MF | ESP | Óscar Vales | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ESP | Rafael Alkorta | 26 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | MF | ESP | Felipe Guréndez | 37 | 0 | 31+3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ESP | Josu Urrutia | 30 | 0 | 27+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ESP | Andoni Imaz | 16 | 0 | 5+8 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ESP | Julen Guerrero | 35 | 6 | 28+4 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ESP | Santi Ezquerro | 30 | 6 | 22+6 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | DF | ESP | Aitor Larrazábal | 27 | 4 | 22+4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | DF | ESP | Jesús María Lacruz | 31 | 4 | 28+2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ESP | Carlos García | 30 | 4 | 23+4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 13 | GK | ESP | Imanol Etxeberria | 26 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | ESP | José Mari | 13 | 1 | 10+2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ESP | Patxi Ferreira | 28 | 1 | 23+2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | ESP | Sívori | 15 | 0 | 2+11 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | ESP | Joseba Etxeberria | 37 | 12 | 33+2 | 10 | 0+2 | 2 |
| 18 | MF | ESP | Bittor Alkiza | 30 | 0 | 26+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ESP | Mikel Lasa | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ESP | Ismael Urzaiz | 37 | 7 | 22+11 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 21 | DF | ESP | Iñigo Larrainzar | 17 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | ESP | Javi González | 26 | 0 | 5+17 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ESP | Edu Alonso | 26 | 0 | 10+13 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | ESP | Roberto Ríos | 6 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | GK | ESP | Iñaki Lafuente | 18 | 0 | 12+2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ESP | Francisco Yeste | 6 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | ESP | Tiko | 20 | 1 | 8+9 | 1 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 35 | FW | ESP | David Asensio | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | ESP | David Karanka | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | ESP | Unai Expósito | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

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

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 9 | Rayo Vallecano | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 52 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 10 | Mallorca | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 51 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup second round |
| 11 | Athletic Bilbao | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 47 | 57 | −10 | 50 | |
| 12 | Málaga | 38 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 48 | |
| 13 | Real Sociedad | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 47 | |
* ↑ Rayo Vallecano earned a spot in the qualifying round of the 2000–01 UEFA Cup as being elected by UEFA as one of the two best entries of UEFA Fair play.
* ↑ ESP 0–0 RSO; RSO 1–0 ESP