#2 Deportivo La Coruna (2000-01)
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The appointment of Javier Irureta as the manager of Deportivo in 1998, changed the fortunes of the club as he helped the Blanquiazules claim the accolade of Spanish Champions for the first time in the club’s history. Deportivo’s maiden La Liga triumph came in the 1999-00 season and they subsequently qualified for the group stages of next season’s Champions League.
The Blanquiazules faced Panathinaikos, Hamburg and Juventus in the first group stage and after enjoying an undefeated run, the Spanish club qualified to the next round as group champions. Deportivo amassed 10 points from their half a dozen games with 4 draws and 2 wins.
The second round didn’t get easy for Deportivo but they marched on to the quarterfinals at the expense of Milan, Galatasaray and Paris Saint-Germain. They topped the group on goal difference to set up a round of 8 tie against Leeds United. The Spanish club succumbed to a 3-0 away loss in the first leg and despite their valiant attempts in the return leg, they ended up losing the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
The 2000-01 season was the first of their five consecutive seasons in the Champions League and they managed to reach the semifinals in the 2003-04 season, where they lost to eventual winners Porto.
