1999–2000 Valencia CF season

Season summary

During Spring of 1999, after rumours of Claudio Ranieri being linked to Atlético Madrid the club agreed to replace the Italian head coach for the upcoming season, the final choices were Radomir Antić from Atlético Madrid with a contract until 2000 with colchoneros and Argentine Héctor Cúper from Mallorca for free in June and whom, finally, was appointed as new manager. Valencia emerged as a world football heavyweight after reaching the Champions League final. New coach Héctor Cúper focused heavily on making the defence invincible, although, despite the general perception of a much more defensive Valencia, they actually conceded the same number of league goals as they had under previous coach Claudio Ranieri. Among the key players were playmaker Gaizka Mendieta (voted as the best midfielder in the Champions League), fellow midfielder Gerard, goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares, winger Javier Farinós and striker Claudio López, who was sold to Lazio at the end of the season. Lazio had been Valencia's opponents in the quarter-final of the Champions League, which resulted in a 5–2 victory for Valencia against the eventual Italian champions. Gerard was also sold to the team that had nurtured him, Barcelona, for £15 million. Barcelona had been Valencia's opponents in the semi-finals, and had been crushed 4–1 away. A 2–1 defeat at the Camp Nou still saw Valencia progress to the final at the Stade de France, where they came up against Real Madrid in the first ever all-Spanish final of the competition. Valencia's dreams were shattered by a clear 3–0 defeat.

Squad

Transfers

Winter

Competitions

La Liga

Main article: 1999–2000 La Liga

League table

Results by round

|color_3-4=green3|text_3-4=2000-01 UEFA Champions League qualifying round |color_5-6=blue2|text_5-6=2000-01 UEFA Cup |color_7-8=#CCCCFF|text_7-8=2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup |color_18-20=red1|text_18-20=2000-01 Segunda Division

Matches

Salva Enrique de Lucas Martín Posse Juan Sánchez Martín Astudillo Fernando Morientes Gerard Claudio López Adrian Ilie Javier Farinós Javier Farinós Gerard Claudio López Carboni Adrian Ilie Gerard Claudio López Juan Sánchez Juan Sánchez

Gaizka Mendieta Savo Milošević Vladislav Radimov Juanele Gaizka Mendieta Arteaga Gaizka Mendieta Javier Farinós Claudio López Claudio López Flávio Conceição Angulo Catanha Patrick Kluivert Patrick Kluivert Frédéric Danjou Claudio López Angulo Javier Farinós Óscar Roberto Pompei Marcelo Zalayeta Angulo Gaizka Mendieta Óscar Claudio López Amedeo Carboni Gaizka Mendieta Claudio López

Copa del Rey

Main article: 1999–2000 Copa del Rey

Eightfinals

UEFA Champions League

Main article: 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League

Third qualifying round

Main article: 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds

First Group Stage

Main article: 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stage

Group F

Kily González C. López

Second Group Stage

Main article: 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League second group stage

Group B

Ilie Kily González Solskjær Scholes Mendieta Mendieta Kily González Sánchez

Knockout stage

Main article: 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League knockout stage

Quarter-final

G. López C. López Salas

Semi-final

Mendieta C. López Cocu

Final

Main article: 2000 UEFA Champions League Final

McManaman Raúl

Statistics

Player statistics

References

References

1. (10 March 1999). "Gil denies a contract with Ranieri". elpais.com.
2. (31 May 1999). "Cuper left Mallorca". elmundo.es.
3. (8 March 1999). "Ranieri recommended Cuper for Valencia". elpais.com.
4. (23 December 1999). "El Valencia de Cuper ya puede presumir de solidez defensiva". elpais.com.