The 2003–04 UEFA Cup first round was played from 24 September to 16 October 2003. The round consisted of 48 ties, with the winners advancing to the second round of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.[1]
The draw was held on 29 August 2003, 13:00 CEST, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Teams were divided into geographical groups, each with seeded and unseeded pots.[2][3]
The first round featured the 41 winners of the qualifying round, joined by 36 directly qualified teams, the 16 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round and the 3 winners for the Intertoto Cup. The first legs were played on 24 and 25 September, and the second legs were played on 15 and 16 October 2003.
^ abcDue to security issues caused by the Second Intifada, Israeli teams were required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[4]
^Match played at Aarhus Stadium, Aarhus, instead of Esbjerg's regular stadium, Esbjerg Stadium, Esbjerg.
Note: Between the 1999–2000 and 2008–09 seasons, the competition was still known as the UEFA Cup. All seasons are included following the competition's absorption of the Cup Winners' Cup.