2002–03 UEFA Cup — 32nd season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA
Porto became the first Portuguese club to win the UEFA Cup, defeating Celtic 3–2 in Seville after silver goal extra time.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 32nd UEFA Cup
- Final date
- 21 May 2003
- Final score
- Porto 3–2 Celtic (silver goal ET)
- Venue
- Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla
- First Portuguese winner
- Porto
- Defending champion
- Feyenoord (unable to defend)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 2002–03 UEFA Cup began as Europe's second-tier club competition, with defending champions Feyenoord unable to participate after automatically qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and then being eliminated from European competition entirely after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.
Porto and Celtic met in the final at the Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla on 21 May 2003, in a match decided by the silver goal rule in extra time. Porto secured a 3–2 victory, claiming the trophy in a closely contested finale between two clubs from the western edges of European football.
Porto's victory made them the first Portuguese club to win the UEFA Cup. The triumph was part of a wider period of success under manager José Mourinho, who would lead Porto to the UEFA Champions League title the following season before departing for Chelsea.