2002–03 Manchester United F.C. season
121st season in existence of Manchester United / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2002–03 season was Manchester United's 11th season in the Premier League, and their 28th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] This season saw the club finish at the top of the Premier League table, after their lowest finish in the history of the Premier League the previous season, when they came third. In order to win the title, the team had to pull Arsenal back from an eight-point lead at the beginning of March. United also finished as runners-up in the League Cup, with Liverpool eventually taking the prize. The club also broke the English transfer record for the third time in just over a year as they paid £29.1 million for Leeds United defender Rio Ferdinand.
2002–03 season | ||||
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Chairman | Martin Edwards | |||
Manager | Sir Alex Ferguson | |||
Premier League | 1st | |||
FA Cup | Fifth Round | |||
League Cup | Runners-up | |||
UEFA Champions League | Quarter-finals | |||
Top goalscorer | League: Ruud van Nistelrooy (25) All: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44) | |||
Highest home attendance | 67,721 vs Charlton Athletic (3 May 2003) | |||
Lowest home attendance | 47,848 vs Leicester City (5 November 2002) | |||
Average home league attendance | 67,602 | |||
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At the end of the season, United midfielder David Beckham moved to Real Madrid in a £25 million deal, having spent 12 years at United (eight of them as a first-team regular). Meanwhile, 37-year-old centre-back Laurent Blanc announced his retirement from playing. Fellow centre-back David May was given a free transfer after nine years at the club, the last five of which had seen his first team opportunities limited to a handful of appearances.