# 2003–04 Argentine Primera División

The 2003–04 Argentine Primera División was the 113th season of top-flight football in Argentina. The season ran from 3 August 2003 to 27 June 2004. Atlético de Rafaela (champion of 2002–03 Primera B Nacional) and Quilmes (which earned it after beating Argentinos Juniors in a two-legged series) were promoted from Primera B Nacional.
Boca Juniors won the Apertura (league title 26th.) and River Plate the Clausura (34th. title) championships, while four teams were relegated, Chacarita Juniors, Nueva Chicago (the last two teams in average table) plus Atlético de Rafaela and Talleres de Córdoba (which lost the promotion playoffs)

## Torneo Apertura
### Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Boca Juniors | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 11 | +20 | 39 | 2005 Copa Libertadores Second Stage |
| 2 | San Lorenzo | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 13 | +13 | 36 | |
| 3 | Banfield | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 18 | +9 | 32 | |
| 4 | Quilmes | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 31 | |
| 5 | Rosario Central | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 31 | |
| 6 | Newell's Old Boys | 19 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 27 | 20 | +7 | 29 | |
| 7 | Arsenal | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 26 | |
| 8 | River Plate | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 26 | |
| 9 | Colón | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 24 | |
| 10 | Talleres (C) | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 30 | −3 | 24 | |
| 11 | Estudiantes (LP) | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 20 | −2 | 23 | |
| 12 | Racing | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 22 | |
| 13 | Lanús | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 22 | |
| 14 | Independiente | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 19 | −4 | 22 | |
| 15 | Vélez Sarsfield | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 28 | −8 | 22 | |
| 16 | Chacarita Juniors | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 20 | 19 | +1 | 24 | |
| 17 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 19 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 21 | |
| 18 | Olimpo | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 20 | |
| 19 | Atlético de Rafaela | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 17 | |
| 20 | Nueva Chicago | 19 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 31 | −17 | 11 | |

### Top scorers

| Rank. | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Ernesto Farías | Estudiantes (LP) | 12 |
| 2 | Alberto Acosta | San Lorenzo | 10 |
| 3 | Julián Vásquez | Newell's Old Boys | 9 |

## Torneo Clausura
### Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | River Plate | 19 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 40 | 2005 Copa Libertadores Second Stage |
| 2 | Boca Juniors | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 34 | 17 | +17 | 36 | |
| 3 | Talleres (C) | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 35 | |
| 4 | Banfield | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 32 | |
| 5 | Vélez Sarsfield | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 31 | |
| 6 | Quilmes | 19 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 29 | |
| 7 | Arsenal | 19 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 29 | |
| 8 | Lanús | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 20 | |
| 9 | Olimpo | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 28 | −10 | 19 | |
| 10 | Racing | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 28 | |
| 11 | San Lorenzo | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 26 | |
| 12 | Atlético de Rafaela | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 24 | +1 | 26 | |
| 13 | Colón | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 26 | −6 | 25 | |
| 14 | Newell's Old Boys | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 28 | 25 | +3 | 22 | |
| 15 | Independiente | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 22 | |
| 16 | Estudiantes (LP) | 19 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 29 | −10 | 21 | |
| 17 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 17 | |
| 18 | Nueva Chicago | 19 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 17 | |
| 19 | Chacarita Juniors | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 34 | −13 | 17 | |
| 20 | Rosario Central | 19 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 29 | −13 | 13 | |

### Top scorers

| Rank. | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Rolando Zárate | Vélez Sársfield | 13 |
| 2 | Aldo Osorio | Talleres (C) | 11 |
| 3 | Fernando Cavenaghi | River Plate | 9 |
| 4 | José Luis Calderón | Arsenal | 8 |

## Relegation
### Relegation table

| Pos | Team | 2001–02 Pts | 2002–03 Pts | 2003–04 Pts | Total Pts | Total Pld | Avg | Relegation |
| 1 | River Plate | 84 | 79 | 66 | 229 | 114 | 2.009 |
| 2 | Boca Juniors | 68 | 79 | 75 | 222 | 114 | 1.947 |
| 3 | Quilmes | — | — | 60 | 60 | 38 | 1.579 |
| 4 | San Lorenzo | 57 | 56 | 62 | 175 | 114 | 1.535 |
| 5 | Racing | 68 | 53 | 50 | 171 | 114 | 1.5 |
| 6 | Vélez Sarsfield | 48 | 66 | 53 | 167 | 114 | 1.465 |
| 7 | Colón | 56 | 57 | 49 | 162 | 114 | 1.421 |
| 8 | Banfield | 48 | 48 | 64 | 160 | 114 | 1.404 |
| 9 | Arsenal | — | 49 | 55 | 104 | 76 | 1.368 |
| 10 | Newell's Old Boys | 51 | 49 | 51 | 151 | 114 | 1.325 |
| 11 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 64 | 46 | 38 | 148 | 114 | 1.298 |
| 12 | Independiente | 41 | 61 | 44 | 146 | 114 | 1.281 |
| 13 | Rosario Central | 40 | 62 | 44 | 146 | 114 | 1.281 |
| 14 | Lanús | 51 | 51 | 42 | 144 | 114 | 1.263 |
| 15 | Estudiantes (LP) | 51 | 43 | 44 | 138 | 114 | 1.211 |
| 16 | Olimpo | — | 51 | 39 | 90 | 76 | 1.184 |
| 17 | Talleres (C) | 30 | 44 | 59 | 133 | 114 | 1.167 | Relegation Playoff Matches |
| 18 | Atlético de Rafaela | — | — | 43 | 43 | 38 | 1.132 | Relegation Playoff Matches |
| 19 | Chacarita Juniors | 47 | 41 | 38 | 126 | 114 | 1.105 | Relegated to the Primera B Nacional |
| 20 | Nueva Chicago | 48 | 41 | 28 | 117 | 114 | 1.026 | Relegated to the Primera B Nacional |

### Promotion playoff

* Winner of the series; teams currently playing in Primera División are listed first
| Series | Team 1 (1st div) | Team 2 (2nd div) | 1st. leg | Venue 1 | City 1 | 2nd. leg | Venue 2 | City 2 | Agg. |
| 1 | Atlético de Rafaela | Huracán (TA) | 1–2 | José María Minella | Mar del Plata | 2–3 | Nuevo Monumental | Rafaela | 3–5 |
| 2 | Talleres (C) | Argentinos Juniors | 1–2 | Malvinas Argentinas | Mendoza | 1–2 | Chateau Carreras | Córdoba | 2–4 |
Atlético de Rafaela and Talleres de Córdoba were relegated to Primera B Nacional.