Valencia CF closed the 2003-2004 season as the best one in its history, after winning, for the first time in 85 years, two championships in the same season, achieving the sixth national league and conquering the UEFA Cup. In a very intense sesaon, Mestalla's team was the best in almost all the aspects of the league and knew how to overcome the hard moments to achieve the second league championship in the last three seasons.
But nevertheless, the summer and the pre-season were, once again, a source of conflicts in the club. Benítez had a meeting before the holidays with the technical stuff and the sports manager, to decide which were gonna be the master lines of the team's future. The problem arrived, like always, because of the lack of money in the club. There's no money for new hirings, and the club's not able to sell because of the market's lack of money and saturation. The staff is much to large because all the lended players come back with no idea about their future. The sports manager starts to find a solution for the discarded players. The pre-season stage starts in Switzerland and the problems start. The coach is nervous because the requested reinforcements don't arrive, Samuel Eto'o becomes the summer's soap opera, Kily González, very apreciated by the supporters, leaves the club, there's no new right back and the hirings of Oliveira, Cannobio and Jorge López annoy Benítez who declares to ignore everything about the new players. And the worst of it, Real Madrid tries to hire Ayala, who finally extends his contract with Valencia.
Despite all this problems, a sensacional start of season drives the team to the leadership and to close the league's first round as Winter Champion and alive in all the competitions. Tranquility comes back to Mestalla's club, which little by little recovers its confidence. Again, the defensive power becomes Valencia's milestone, but this time together with a high-level offensive balance, with Mista as the national top-scorer.
In the King's Cup Valencia finally finished with the curse of the Second Division B teams, and reached the quarter finals, where the rival was Real Madrid. Valencia was in a great shape, but after a very unlucky fist leg match at Madrid, the che team had to say good-bye to this competition.
Even though, Valencia didn't give up and kept on passing rounds in the UEFA Cup. And then, the league match at Santiago Bernabeu arrived. Valencia faced the match with the possibility of being new leader. Ayala scored the first, and the team arrived with advantage to the final minutes. Then, in the 91st minute, the referee, Tristante Oliva, made up an unexisting penalty of Marchena on Raúl. Real Madrid tied and avoided Valencia's leadership. It took Rafa Benítez's several weeks to recover from this great shock, and the distance with Real grew up to wight points. But nevertheless, everything changed after the victory versus Deportivo in Valencia. The coach sent a union message to the team, and the players answered with hard work, winning the six next consecutive matches and getting back the leadership, which would be kept until the end of the season.
May 9th, 2004, will be remembered in the history as the day in which Valencia CF won its sixth league championship. It was, once again, in Andalusia. At Sánchez Pizjuán stadium, the che team defeated Seville FC (2-0), and the whole city of Valencia became a big party. On the following day, team was received by thousands of supporters that collapsed the streets. A great celebration that finished in Mestalla Stadium.
Ten days later, on May 19th, 2004, Valencia CF made this historic success even bigger, after defeating Olympique Marseille in the UEFA Cup final match played at the Nya Ullevi Stadium in Goteborg, Sweden. The whole Europe witnessed unforgettable moment when Albelda and Baraja raised the champions cup with the joy and pride of the thousands of valencian supporters, who made a very long journey to see their team become european champion, breaking, in some way, the curse of the final matches at Paris and Milan. Once again, the players were received like heroes on the following day in a city that celebrated plenty of euphoria a new championship just a few days later.
The celebrations were culminated at Mestalla, on May 23rd, 2004, when, after the last league match, Albelda and Baraja raised the league champions cup, with the happiness of all the valencian supporters. An impressive party started then, with music, fireworks and all kind of celebrations. An unforgettable end to one of the best seasons in the long history of our Valencia CF.
Nothig bad can be said about the season completed by the team. Once again, the solidity of the team brought the success, although it's fair to recognize that players like Ayala, Albelda, Vicente, Mista or Cañizares were essential in the team and, maybe, were the most important part of Benítez's team. Cañizares won his fourth Zamora's trophy as the less beaten goalkeeper, and Mista's contribution finished the lack of scoring luck of the team, becoming the national top scorer of the league. Besides, the league and UEFA championships link a chain of successes in the last five years that reveal Valencia's best moment since its foundation with two leagues, one UEFA Cup, the King's Cup and the Spanish Supercup conquered since 1999.

The season started with many uncertainties after a very hot summer in which the technical office attended none of the coach's requests. Many players went yielded, Kily González was transferred, but the acquisitions didn't please nor the fans neither the trainer. The day of the presentation of the team in Mestalla, Benítez was ovationes while the club's president, Jaime Ortí, is whistled and barely can speak. With this climate of tensions started a season that would finish as historic.
It was a former team of Rafa Benítez, Real Valladolid, the first one he coached in Primera and, the one that that darkened somehow the ches' debut in this League. Aimar saved the result and the game finished in a tie (1-1). Another former team of the coach, Osasuna, let everybody guess that the Turia's team, after the irregular previous year, went for all. The final result in Pamplona (0-1) marked the point of inflection for a team that chained four consecutive victories, three of them versus big enemies like Atletico Madrid (0-3), Real Madrid (2-0) and Barcelona (0-1).
Especially brilliant was the triumph in Mestalla versus the called 'galactics' of Real Madrid. After a very difficult match, Madrid had to bite the dust, thanks to the goals of Mista and Oliveira. In the end, 2-0 and the happiness of all the valencians. The leadership had already been achieved on the previous week, after a forceful victory at Vicente Calderon (0-3). At Camp Nou, meanwhile, the rotations began work fine for Rafa Benítez. Ricardo Oliveira was chosen for the starting line-up and scored the goal that knocked Barcelona out (0-1). An impressive trajectory that was broken by Deportivo at Riazor two weeks later. Irureta's team defeated Valencia CF 2-1, causing serious doubts around the team. It was clear that the league was not gonna be an easy walk.
The team was unable to beat Celta home (2-2), Racing surprised everybody in Mestalla (1-2) and Murcia also put things very difficult in its stadium (2-2). The roller coaster of the season appeared again in the che's road after the match at La Condomina and, in the following one, versus Zaragoza, they luckily won the three points (3-2). The team worked hard in defensive tasks and received only three goals in the following seven matches, in which the team remained unbeaten. With the victory in Albacete (0-1) in the last match of the first league round, Valencia CF achieved the winter champion title, despite that in the following match at Valladolid, they couldn't get more than one point (0-0). Osasuna, at Mestalla, put an end to the successful series (0-1).
After Osasuna's shock another hard bump was to come. Valencia defeated easily Atletico Madrid (3-0) a week before one of the essential matches of the season. The che team visited Santiago Bernabeu stadium, knowing that a victory would leave Valencia as the leader. The team played a sensational match and took advantage in the scoreboard with a goal scored by Ayala. The match was about to end, when the referee, Tristante Oliva, whistled a nonexistent penalty of Marchena on Raúl. Figo didn't forgive and the game finished 1-1. The unjust tie left Benítez's players shocked, and the following two matches were lost. Barcelona won in Mestalla (0-1) and Espanyol, at Montjuïc (2-1).
The League became more complicated, since Real Madrid was already eight points away, and the national press already announced that Real was almost the champion. But the che team, helped by the successes in the UEFA Cup, put all the effort and hard work on the pitch and defeated Deportivo (3-0). That's when the final takeoff really started. The victories arrived at the same same rhythm as Real Madrid's crashed took place. While the whited said good-bye to the King's Cup and the Champions League, with its moral repercussion in the League, the ches linked six consecutive victories until recovering the leadership with a meritoria victory in Zaragoza (0-1), while Real Madrid was knocked by Osasuna home. Only Real Sociedad (2-2) and Athletic Bilbao (1-1) resisted the force of a Valencia that, despite these two ties, kept the leadership. Less opposition found Benítez's men with the two last obstacles towards the title. On May 2nd, Valencia defeated Real Betis under a hard rain (2-0) and enlarged its distance with Real Madrid.
Then the decisive day arrived. On May 9th, 2004, Valencia had to play a historic party at Sanchez Pizjuán in Seville. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona had lost the previous day versus Majorca and Celta, respectively. A victory would allow Valencia sing the aliron two days before the end of the competition. The che team was not impressed by the pressure and carried out a wonderful match, winning (0-2) with goals by Vicente and Baraja. Happiness overflowed the thousands of fans that had travelled Seville to see its team be proclaimed champion for the sixth time. The players celebrated it with great joy, and on the following day, they were received in the Túria's capital by thousands of fans that ovationed the players in their triumphant walk on a roofless bus along the city. The feasts were extended during all the day in the city, the team offered the title to the Virgin of the town, and celebrated with its supporters the triumph in the balcony of the City Hall, before reaching Mestalla, where more than 50.000 fans expected anxiously the celebration of the title.
On May 23rd, after the last league match in Mestalla versus Albacete, the president of the Spanish Football Federation delivered the League champions Cup to Valencia. When Albelda and Baraja raised the trophy, the dream became true. Valencia CF had got the double for the first time in the history and offered to the fans the cups of the League and UEFA champions, in a night that was prolonged in a crowded festival with music, fireworks and all kind of celebrations. The culmination to an unforgettable season.
The scorers of the team this season were: Mista (19 goals), Vicente (12 goals), Baraja and Oliveira (8 goals), Aimar and Jorge López (4 goals), Angulo, Marchena, Pellegrino and Rufete (2 goals) and Albelda, Ayala, Canobbio, Xisco, Sánchez and Curro Torres (1 goal). These were the results achieved by Valencia CF y and the final classification of the 2003/2004 national league championship.

This time the King's Cup didn't become a punishment in the first rounds, but still showed to be a damned competition for Mestalla's team. The drawing granted a rival of Segunda Division B, CD Castellón in the first round, And the single match played in Castalia stadium, on November 22nd, 2003, is a great festival with good football of the locals and a bit of confusion of the visitors, until a spectator hits the referee with an object after whistling a penalty against Castellon. The referee suspended the game and all still has to be decided. Nine minutes have to be played without spectators and a penalty kick for Valencia. This mini match, had more intensity and fight that the 80 minutes that had been disputed before. Mista missed the penalty, the goalkeeper's reject reaches Baraja who finally scores. Benítez's team scored again in a counterattack with Castellon overturned.
Valencia achieved to qualify and the drawing favors them clearly in the second round, as the ches have to play versus Real Murcia in a single match at Mestalla, on December 17th. A match in which the two teams don't want to force their players, by doing rotations and to see how the experiment works. This time, things work out good for Benítez, whose team beats Murcia 2-0, showing that the substitutes of Valencia are better than the ones of the murcian team. The goals are scored by two not very habitual players as Xisco and Garrido, although the most important is to see that the cup curse is surpassed. The target of Benítez, to remain alive in the three competitions by the end of 2003, is completed.
In the eighths of finals, a more serious rival, Osasuna. This team would complicate things very much. The first leg match, played on January 7th, 2004, in Mestalla, was really thrilling. Valencia took advantage with goals by Angulo and Baraja. Everything seemed to be resolved, but after Curro Torres was sent off, Osasuna gave its all and managed to draw the match. Valencia was obliged to win in the second leg game, that was played at El Sadar stadium, on January 14th. The che team, that had won a few days before the winter championship in the league, managed to qualify for the quarter finals in a good match at Pamplona, defeating the reds with goals by Vicente and Rufete.
Valencia was in a very good shape and the supporters were really happy with the team's performance. The drawing determined that the rival in the quarter finals would be a Real Madrid in crisis. But nothing happened as expected, since in the first leg, played at Santiago Bernabeu on January 21, Valencia got an excessive punishment and was beaten 3-0, after forgiving many goal chances. Although the supporters expected a miracle in the second leg matche played on January 28th in Mestalla, Real Madrid won again 2-1, and knocked Valencia CF out of the competition.

With the punishment of staying out of the champions league after the painful end of league of the previous season, Rafa Benítez faced his second participation in the UEFA Cup, with many hopes put in this competition. The target of the coach and the players was to try to arrive as further as possible and keeping an eye on the possibility of achieving the title in a competition that only in the final stages would bring big rivals. Little by little, the expectation became larger, until Valencia was proclaimed champion. But the road to the final was very long, and a very hard work had to be done. In the first round the rival was AIK Solna, from Sweden. Valencia started well the heat after beating the swedish team 0-1 in the first leg, played at Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm on September 24th, in a match in which the che team appealed to its better quality and experience to win with a goal by Oliveira, who scored his first official goal. The second leg took place in Mestalla, on October 15th, and Valencia won in a not very brilliant match, qualifying for the following round with a lonely goal by Mista.
In the second round, the rival would be Maccabi Haifa from Israel. The che team had many problems, especially because they were unable to score a goal first leg match played on November 6th in Mestalla. At the end of the match, the israelite players celebrated with their supporters the success that for them meant not to have lost the match, while the valencians left the picth very disappointed. Nevertheless, in the second leg, that was played at the Eneco Stadion in Rotterdam, due to the prohibition to play official matches in Israel because of the recent terrorist attacks, Valencia defeated its rival 4-0 (Mista, Baraja, Albelda and Angulo) and achieved to qualify.
The competition continued without awaking excessive interest between the supporters, despite that the rival in the third round was a team with more international level, the turkish Besiktas JK. The first match was played in a half empty Mestalla stadium, on February 26th, 2004, and was a real headache for Benítez. Too much indulgence of the ches and two goals of the turks, that were immediately equalized by Sissoko and Canobbio, were a trouble that in the end became a festival thanks to a goal of David Navarro on the final whistle. The second leg was less dangerous than expected, and on March 3rd Valencia won 0-2 (Angulo and Sánchez), in an match in which Benítez's imposed their higher level despite playing with some of their less habitual footballers.
The eighths of finals arrived, and again a turkish team was the rival of Valencia CF, this time, an unknown team, Gençlerbirligi SK. Unconcentrated, and without the requested interest, the team che was defeated 0-1 on March 11th in the first leg match, after penalty scored by the turkish team. The team che should mend at home a week later, and thus happened, although the supporters suffered a lot. A goal by Vicente in the extra-time, a silver goal that is worth its value in gold, eliminated Gençlerbirligi that complicated things really much for a Valencia that wasn't able to equalize the eliminatory until the 63 minute, with a goal by Mista.
Then, the quarter finals arrived and everything changed. The drawing granted an optimist road towards the final, and the supporters started to get excited by the competition, conscious of the importance of a european title. The rival in this eliminatory, the french Girondins Bordeaux, was not as dangerous as expected. In fact, Valencia solved its way to the semifinals after winning in France 1-2, with goals by Baraja and Rufete, in the first leg played on 8th at the Chaban Delmas stadium. In the second leg match, played one week later in Mestalla, Valencia qualified after defeating Girondins 2-1 (Pelegrino and Rufete), showing an inpressive superiority.
In the semifinals, Valencia and Villarreal met in a historic one valencian derby in Europe. Possibly, the most complicated eliminatory for Rafa Benítez's team, that could not achieve more than a tie without goals in the first leg, played on April 22nd at El Madrigal stadium, and then managed to defeat the team from Castellon on April 7th in Mestalla with a great deal of suffering and thanks to a controversial one penalty scored by Mista. After this victory, euphoria invaded Valencia's supporters, who saw the team, three years later, in a new european final. On May 19th, 2004, a new historic day arrived for Valencia CF. The che team played the UEFA Cup final match versus the revelation of the tournament, the french team Olympique Marseille, at the Nya Ullevi Stadium in Goteborg, Sweden. The team of Rafa Benítez was the great favorite and with the enormous experience of the two previous finals of the Champions League lost in Paris and Milan. The team was convinced that this time they couln't miss the opportunity to be crowned as continental champions and performed a wonderful match. Despite a bad beginning, the ches struck the first blow a short time before the halftime, after Vicente scored a very clear penalty committed by the goalkeeper Barthez, who saw the red card. In the second half, Valencia played really well, and in the 57th minute the team gave the final and deadly blow, thanks to a magisterial counterattack conducted by Vicente and concluded by Mista, who was chosen the best player of the final match.
After the final, Albelda and Baraja received the trophy of Champions of the UEFA Cup with the delirium of their companions and of the thousands of valencianis who had travelled to the swedish stadium. The team celebrated the historic triumph, a new one only ten days after the success in the spanish league. The team had just written with golden letters one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the club, and because of it, on the following day, the players were received by hundreds of thousands of euphoric fans in the city of Valencia. The streets were collapsed with the arrival of the roofless bus of the champions, that carried the players from the airport to the City Hall, where thousands and thousands of valencians praised its heroes and celebrated the historic double.