2002–03 FC Basel season
| 2002–03 season | |||
| Chairman |
 Werner Edelmann |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager |
Christian Gross
|
||
| Nationalliga A | Runners-up | ||
| Swiss Cup | Winners | ||
| Champions League | Second group stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | Christian Giménez (20) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 35,000 (vs.  Manchester United, 26 November) |
||
| Lowest home attendance | 16,053 (vs. Servette, 8 March) |
||
|
|||
The 2002–03 season was Fussball Club Basel 1893's 110th season in their existence and was the club's 9th consecutive season in the Nationalliga A, the top flight of Swiss football.
As reigning double holders, the club's main aims for the 2002–03 season were to retain the Swiss Nationalliga A and cup titles. The third aim was to stay in the Champions League as long as possible and, if possible, to reach the group stage.
Basel ended the domestic league season as runners-up and Swiss Cup winners. They also reached the second group stage of the Champions League.
As reigning champions, Basel were favourites to win the domestic championship title. They also entered the 2002-03 Champions League in the second qualifying round.
Basel's biggest pre-season signings were Julio Hernán Rossi from Lugano, Antonio Esposito from St. Étienne and Bernt Haas on loan from West Bromwich Albion. In the other direction, Massimo Ceccaroni retired from his professional career. Ceccaroni is still considered to be a cult figure in Basel, not only because of his loyalty to the club (having spent 25 years at the club) but because he never scored a goal in the top flight of Swiss football.
Basel started the season of with various warm-up matches. Their oppopnent included teams from the Swiss lower league as well as teams from the USL Premier Development League, Major League Soccer and Brazil and PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands.
...
Wikipedia