2003: Perugia put past behind them
Friday 1 August 2003
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Perugia's Giovanni Tedesco celebrates after scoring against Wolfsburg in the final (©Getty Images)
AC Perugia ended three barren seasons in the UEFA Intertoto Cup by winning the competition in 2003, along with FC Schalke 04, and Villarreal CF, whose victory in their final against SC Heerenveen set them on course for a European run that would lead all the way to the UEFA Cup semi-finals.
Perugia rejuvenated
Prior to the 2003 campaign, Perugia had only one win - against FK Pobeda of F.Y.R. Macedonia - to show for attempts in 1999, 2000 and 2002. The Serie A club tripled their Intertoto victory tally with 2-0 victories home and away against Finnish First Division side AC Allianssi to reach the semi-finals, where a 1-0 first-leg win at FC Nantes Atlantique set them on course for a place in the final. Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg provided the final obstacle to UEFA Cup qualification, which the Italian side duly overcame with a comfortable 3-0 aggregate win.
Villarreal joy
Villarreal made amends for their disappointing defeat by Málaga CF in the previous season's final by going one step further in the 2003 edition. The Spanish side gained 3-1 aggregate wins against Brescia Calcio and 1. FC Brno to secure a second successive Intertoto Cup final place, this time against Heerenveen. A 2-1 first-leg win in the Netherlands left them well set, and a goalless draw at El Madrigal was enough to secure a first UEFA Cup entry. They then made the most of their chance, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Valencia CF.
Schalke soar
Competition debutants Schalke triumphed in the third final as they saw off a SV Pasching side that had shocked German Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen 5-1 on aggregate in the last four. The 2-0 victory capped a comfortable campaign that had seen them overcome FC Dacia Chisinau and FC Slovan Liberec in earlier rounds.
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