Spanish football clubs in international competitions

Spain's dominance in Europe since 2000

Since 2000, La Liga clubs have frequently dominated the later stages of European competitions. In 2000, three of the four UEFA Champions League semi-finalists were from Spain—Real Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona—and Real Madrid defeated Valencia in the first all-Spanish final. The following year, Real Madrid and Valencia again reached the semi-finals, with Valencia losing the final to Bayern Munich; in the UEFA Cup, Barcelona and Alavés were semi-finalists, but Liverpool eliminated both. In 2002, Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the semi-finals and then Bayer Leverkusen in the final to claim a record ninth title. Real Madrid reached the semi-finals again in 2003 but lost to Juventus, while Barcelona and Valencia were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Italian sides. In 2004, Deportivo La Coruña reached the semi-finals after knocking out defending champions AC Milan, but lost to eventual winners Porto; in the UEFA Cup, Valencia defeated Villarreal in the semi-finals and beat Marseille in the final for their first UEFA Cup title. In 2006, Barcelona and Villarreal were semi-finalists in the Champions League, with Barcelona beating Arsenal 2–1 in the final; Sevilla won the UEFA Cup by defeating Middlesbrough 4–0, giving La Liga both European trophies that season. Sevilla then beat Barcelona 3–0 in the all-Spanish 2006 UEFA Super Cup.