The 2003–04 season was Real Madrid C.F.'s 73rd season in La Liga. This article shows statistics of the club's players in the season, and also lists all matches that the club played in the 2003–04 season. It was the last time that Real Madrid finished below second place until 2013–14 season. The club played the season wearing their classic white home and teal blueaway kits.
Season summary
In spite of the arduous pre-season, the team got off to a good start to the season. They won the Supercopa de España against Mallorca with a 3–0 victory on 27 August in the second leg. By the time half the season had passed, the team topped the league table and was still in contention for the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Monaco, and finished as runners-up in the domestic cup. They also lost their final five La Liga matches and finished in fourth place, which gave Valencia the title.
Transfers
In
Total spending: €35,000,000
Out
Total income: €16,000,000
Squad
Left club during season
Pre-season
The team embarked on a summer tour in Asia, for 18 days, to cash in on the worldwide appeal of their new signing, David Beckham. It included exhibition matches in Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok, which alone earned the club €10 million. This was compared by popular contrary with the tour with the first visit of The Beatles to the United States in 1964. Although lucrative and generating wide publicity, the preparation value of the Asia was questionable, considering that the long 2003–04 season which lay ahead. It was exhausting for the players, due to endless rounds of publicity engagements and restrictions on the players' freedom of movement. Most players admitted that they would have preferred a low-profile training camp and/or to have been home in Spain for the pre-season, instead of playing meaningless show matches against low quality opponents. The Asia tour has been said to have catered more to the needs of the club's marketing than to its players' preparations.
