2003–04 season | |||
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Chairman | Werner Edelmann | ||
Manager | Christian Gross | ||
Swiss Super League | Champions | ||
Swiss Cup | Round 3 | ||
UEFA Cup | Round 2 | ||
Top goalscorer | Christian Giménez (16) | ||
Highest home attendance | 30,800 vs Grasshoppers (23.11.2003) 30,000 vs Newcastle United (6.11.2003) |
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Lowest home attendance | 21,803 vs Xamax (28.04.2004) |
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The 2003–04 season was Fussball Club Basel 1893's 111th in existence and the club's 10th consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football. The Club's main aims for the 2003–04 season were to regain the league title and, as cup holders, to retain their cup title. The third aim was to remain in the UEFA Cup as long as possible. During pre-season Basel won the Uhrencup and the Alpen Cup. After being the surprise package in Europe in the 2002–03 season, Basel could not bring this form into the UEFA Cup in 2003–04 as they were eliminated by Newcastle United in the second round after defeating Malatyaspor in the previous round.
The Super League season started impeccably, Basel won the first thirteen matches straight off. They completed the first half of the season undefeated, with seventeen wins and one draw. Basel remained in top position right up until the end of the season, thus achieving their championship aim. In the club's history this was their tenth championship title.
Despite the fact that Grasshopper Club Zürich were the reigning Swiss champions, Basel were favourites to win the domestic championship title. As runners-up of the previous Nationalliga A season, Basel entered the UEFA Cup in first round. Basel's biggest signing in advance of the 2003–04 season was Matías Emilio Delgado from Chacarita Juniors But in the other direction Hakan Yakin left the club and transferred to Paris Saint-Germain.
FC Basel started the season of with various warm-up matches. These included teams from the Swiss lower league as well as teams from the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1 and the Romanian Liga I. The season began on 16 July 2003 with the home game against Zürich and the 2003–04 UEFA Cup began on 24 September 2003.