1999–2000 was Alavés's third season under head coach Mané, who guided them to the Segunda División title in his first season, and led them to La Liga survival with 16th place in 1998–99. The success continued in the club's second top flight campaign, as Alavés finished in sixth place, the best result in their history. This qualified them for the first round of the 2000–01 UEFA Cup, their first ever European campaign, where they went on to reach the final before losing 5–4 to a Liverpool golden goal. They had somewhat less success in the Copa del Rey, where they were eliminated on away goals in the second round after a 2–2 aggregate draw with Segunda División B side Real Unión.