2002–03 FC Basel season

Overview

As reigning champions, Basel were favourites to win the domestic championship title. They also entered the 2002-03 Champions League in the second qualifying round.

Basel's biggest pre-season signings were Julio Hernán Rossi from Lugano, Antonio Esposito from St. Étienne and Bernt Haas on loan from West Bromwich Albion. In the other direction, Massimo Ceccaroni retired from his professional career. Ceccaroni is still considered to be a cult figure in Basel, not only because of his loyalty to the club (having spent 25 years at the club) but because he never scored a goal in the top flight of Swiss football.

Basel started the season of with various warm-up matches. Their oppopnent included teams from the Swiss lower league as well as teams from the USL Premier Development League, Major League Soccer and Brazil and PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands.

The Nationalliga A season began on 6 July 2002 with the game against Aarau and the Champions League qualifying started on 31 July with the away tie against Žilina. In the Swiss Cup, all the league teams were qualified for the round of 32 which was to take place on 22 February 2003.

Domestic league

The season started well for Basel and they were undefeated in their first seven matches, winning five and drawing two. The following two games were both lost and Basel slipped down in the league table, but they regrouped to win nine and draw two of the following eleven games. A 1–2 home defeat against Grasshoppers cost them the lead in the league table and Grasshoppers ended the league qualifying stage as table leaders at the winter break. In the championship playoff round Basel lost just two away games, but because both ties against Grasshoppers were drawn the Zurich-based club managed to snatch the title by a single point.

Domestic cup

In the round of 32 of the Swiss Cup, Basel won away at lower league team Yverdon-Sport. In the round of 16 and in the quarter-finals Basel eliminated Servette and Young Boys respectively. Lower league club Schaffhausen was defeated 3–0. The final against Neuchâtel Xamax was a one-sided affair: Basel won 6–0 and won the domestic cup.

Champions League

In the second qualifying round of the Champions League, Basel defeated Slovakian club Žilina 4–1. In the third qualifying round they faced Scottish giants Celtic. In the first leg, away at Celtic Park, the home side won 3–1. Basel were able to rescue the tie in the second leg at St. Jakob-Park, coming away with a 2–0 victory, to draw 3–3 on aggregate, Basel proceeding to the group stage on the away goals rule. Basel's success saw them become only the second Swiss team ever to play in the modern Champions League.

In the group stage Basel were drawn into Group B along with Valencia, Liverpool and Spartak Moscow. Following a 2–0 home win against Spartak, Basel travelled to Anfield to claim a 1–1 draw against Liverpool. After two good results Basel were brought back down to earth by a 6–2 demolition at Valencia's Estadio Mestalla. However, they bounced back and held Valencia to a 2–2 draw in the next fixture. Basel were now sitting in second place in the group, but needing to win at least one of their last two games and needing Liverpool to fail to pick up more than two points. In matchday five, Liverpool lost 1–0 to Valencia and Basel won 2–0 against Spartak at the Luzhniki Stadium. Basel's place in the last 16 was all but secured, although they still had to make sure they did not lose to Liverpool in the last game of the first group stage.

On the last matchday, Basel led 3–0 at half-time through goals from Julio Hernán Rossi, Christian Giménez and Timothée Atouba. Although Liverpool fought back to equalise the game at 3–3 in the second half, Basel qualified for the next round.

In the last 16, Basel faced Manchester United, Juventus and Deportivo de La Coruña. They had a poor start, losing back-to-back games at home to Manchester United and away at Juventus. Basel managed to give themselves hope of reaching the quarter-finals by winning 1-0 home and away at Deportivo. Arguably two of Basel's greatest ever European games came next as they held Manchester United to a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford and claimed a 2–1 victory over Juventus at St. Jakob-Park. Despite being knock-out on tie-breaking criteria, Basel had achieved their seasons European aim.

Other information

Source: Homepage FCB

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

In

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Nationalliga A

For more information, see 2002–03 Nationalliga A

Qualification round

The Qualification round to the 2002–03 league season was contested by twelve teams. The eight teams at the top of the table at the end of the regular season (or qualification) were then to compete in the championship play-off round.

Qualification league table

Updated to games played on 7 December 2002.
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Championship play-off rounds

Final league table

Second qualifying round

Basel won 4–1 on aggregate

Third qualifying round

3–3 on aggregate, Basel won on away goals