The first round of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup was contested between 17 September and 3 October 2002. A total of 96 teams participated in this round, with the 48 winners advancing to the second round.
Format
In the first round, each tie was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, the away goals rule was applied, i.e., the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs advanced. If away goals were also equal, then thirty minutes of extra time were played, divided into two fifteen-minute halves. The away goals rule was again applied after extra time, i.e., if there were goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score was still level, the visiting team advanced by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals were scored during extra time, the tie was decided by penalty shoot-out.[1]
CL Losers from the Champions League third qualifying round
IC Teams qualified via the Intertoto Cup
Seeding
The draw was held on 30 August 2002 in Monaco.[3] Before the draw, the 96 teams were divided into 48 seeded and 48 unseeded teams, based on their 2002 UEFA club coefficients.[4] For convenience of the draw and to avoid pairing of teams from the same association, the teams were distributed into six groups of sixteen teams, each containing an equal number of seeded and unseeded teams.[2] In the draw, a seeded team from each group was paired with an unseeded team from the same group. The first team to be drawn played the first leg at home.[1]
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.
