Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Spanish cup winners Zaragoza qualified for this year's new look UEFA Cup competition. The tournament includes a league stage for the first time, with eight groups of five teams at the second round stage. All the Spanish sides enter at the first round, and their opponents will be known in August once the preliminary rounds have taken place. (01.07.04)

Villarreal will be the fourth Spanish side in the UEFA cup after they beat Atlético Madrid in their Intertoto Cup final. (24.08.04)

Reigning UEFA cup and Spanish league champions Valencia join the competition in the third round after they were knocked out of the Champions' League at the group stage. (08.12.04)