Champions Milan (6th title) Champion A.C. Milan Goals scored 428 | Runners-up Juventus Dates 17 Jul 2002 – 28 May 2003 Attendance 7,535,491 Matches played 157 | |
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Teams 32 (group stage)72 (total) Similar | ||
The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's first ever all-Italian final, to win their sixth European title, and its first in nine years. Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy was again the top scorer, scoring 12 goals over the two group stages and knockout stage, in addition to two goals he had scored in the qualifying phase, although his side bowed out in the quarter-finals and missed out on the chance of playing in a final at their own stadium.
Contents
- Association team allocation
- Round and draw dates
- Second qualifying round
- Third qualifying round
- First group stage
- Second group stage
- Semi finals
- Statistics
- References
Real Madrid were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Juventus in the semi-finals.
Association team allocation
A total of 72 teams participated in the 2002–03 Champions League, from 51 UEFA associations (Liechtenstein organizes no domestic league competition). Countries are allocated places according to their 2002 UEFA league coefficient, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1996–97 to 2000–01.
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League:
Round and draw dates
All draws held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland unless stated otherwise.
Second qualifying round
1Match played at GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus after UEFA banned international matches from being played in Israel.
Third qualifying round
1Match played in Sofia, Bulgaria after UEFA banned international matches from being played in Israel.
First group stage
16 winners from the third qualifying round, 10 champions from countries ranked 1–10, and six second-placed teams from countries ranked 1–6 were drawn into eight groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advance to the Champions League second group stage, while the third-placed teams advance to round three of the UEFA Cup.
Tiebreakers, if necessary, are applied in the following order:
- Points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Total goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Away goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Cumulative goal difference in all group matches.
- Total goals scored in all group matches.
- Higher UEFA coefficient going into the competition.
Basel, Genk and Maccabi Haifa made their debut in the group stage. Maccabi Haifa became the first Israeli club to qualify for the group stage.
Second group stage
The eight group winners and eight group runners-up were drawn into four groups, with each one containing two group winners and two group runners-up. The top two teams in each group advanced to the Champions League knockout stage.
Tiebreakers, if necessary, are applied in the following order:
- Points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Total goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Away goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- Cumulative goal difference in all group matches.
- Total goals scored in all group matches.
- Higher UEFA coefficient going into the competition.
Semi-finals
*Both clubs play in the same stadium (the San Siro), but Milan were the designated away side in the second leg, and so won on away goals.
Statistics
The top scorers and assists from the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League (excluding qualifying rounds) are as follows: