The 2003–04 season was Sporting CP's 97th season in existence and 70th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football.
Season overview The club had a disappointing season in the wake of teenage starlet Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Manchester United and Mario Jardel's transfer to Bolton Wanderers in August 2003.
Sporting began the season with a 2-1 away victory over Academica Coimbra, thanks to a last minute winning goal from Beto. Sporting then had irregular form for the next 6 matchdays, but then went on an 18-match unbeaten run. Sporting's form started to decline towards the end of the season, starting with a heavy 4-0 loss to Rio Ave on 27 March 2004. Sporting won their next three matches after that to bounce back from the heavy loss, but then lost matches to Boavista, União Leiria, and then lost the Lisbon derby to Benfica thanks to a late goal by Geovanni in the penultimate round of the season, which ended their hopes of qualifying to the Champions League the following season.
In the Portuguese Cup, the club was eliminated in the fifth round, by Vitoria Guimaraes, after entering in the fourth round. In the UEFA Cup, the club was eliminated at home in the second round with three goals in less than ten minutes by Turkish club Gençlerbirliği after having drawn the first leg.
Squad
Goalkeepers Ricardo Nélson Tiago
Defenders Facundo Quiroga Ânderson Polga Hugo Mário Sérgio Miguel Garcia Paíto Beto Luís Filipe Rui Jorge Santamaria Eduardo Maldea
Midfielders Rui Bento Carlos Martins Pedro Barbosa Rodrigo Tello Paulo Bento Fábio Rochemback Custódio Clayton Toñito Tinga
Attackers Marius Niculae Sá Pinto João Pinto Lourenço Elpídio Silva Liédson
Competitions
Primeira Liga
Standings
Matches
Marítimo-Sporting 2-1 0-1 Liédson 1-1 Marcelo Carioca 2-1 Alan Sporting-Beira-Mar 3-1 1-0 Liédson 1-1 Sandro 2-1 João Pinto 3-1 Liédson Alverca-Sporting 1-2 1-0 Torrão 1-1 Fábio Rochemback 1-2 Liédson Sporting-Rio Ave 1-1 0-1 Evandro 1-1 Silva Paços de Ferreira-Sporting 1-2 0-1 Pedro Barbosa 1-1 Zé Manuel 1-2 Pedro Barbosa Sporting-Braga 2-0 1-0 João Pinto 2-0 Silva Estrela Amadora-Sporting 1-4 0-1 Fábio Rochemback 1-1 Júlio César 1-2 Pedro Barbosa 1-3 Liédson 1-4 Liédson Sporting-Boavista 1-0 1-0 Silva Benfica-Sporting 1-3 0-1 Fábio Rochemback 0-2 Silva 1-2 Luisão 1-3 Sá Pinto Sporting-Vitória Guimarães 2-1 0-1 Romeu 1-1 João Pinto 2-1 Pedro Barbosa Sporting-Académica 2-0 1-0 Liédson 2-0 Pedro Barbosa Belenenses-Sporting 1-3 1-0 Marco Paulo 1-1 Sá Pinto 1-2 João Pinto 1-3 Liédson Sporting-Porto 1-1 0-1 Jorge Costa 1-1 Pedro Barbosa Nacional-Sporting 3-3 0-1 Sá Pinto 1-1 Gouveia 2-1 Adriano 2-2 Marius Niculae 2-3 Lourenço 3-3 Carlos Álvarez Sporting-Moreirense 1-0 1-0 Fábio Rochemback Gil Vicente-Sporting 1-1 1-0 Luís Loureiro 1-1 Carlos Martins Sporting-Marítimo 1-0 1-0 Beto Beira-Mar-Sporting 0-2 0-1 Pedro Barbosa 0-2 Fábio Rochemback Sporting-Alverca 2-0 1-0 Carlos Martins 2-0 Liédson Rio Ave-Sporting 4-0 1-0 Evandro 2-0 Jaime 3-0 Paulo César 4-0 Evandro Sporting-Paços de Ferreira 1-0 1-0 Liédson Braga-Sporting 2-3 0-1 Silva 0-2 Liédson 0-3 Pedro Barbosa 1-3 Henrique 2-3 Henrique Sporting-Estrela Amadora 4-0 1-0 Liédson 2-0 Liédson 3-0 Marius Niculae 4-0 Liédson Boavista-Sporting 2-1 0-1 Liédson 1-1 Frechaut 2-1 Fary Faye União Leiria-Sporting 1-0 1-0 Alhandra Sporting-Benfica 0-1 0-1 Geovanni Vitória Guimarães-Sporting 0-2 0-1 Marius Niculae 0-2 João Pinto
Taca de Portugal
Matches
Fourth Round
Fifth Round
UEFA Cup
Matches First Round
Second Round
Player statistics +Top ScorersPlayerGoals Liédson 15 Fábio Rochemback 7 Silva 5 João Pinto 5
References