The previous season, Luis Fernández's first as head coach, was a successful one for Athletic, as their 6th-place finish in La Liga gained them a place in the 1997–98 UEFA Cup first round after a two-year exile from European competition.

[2] The Frenchman's second La Liga campaign yielded even greater success: Bilbao finished as runners-up, behind only Barcelona, and qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League.

[3] This was their highest league finish, and first qualification for Europe's premier competition, since their last La Liga triumph in 1984.

The Spaniards took a valuable 2–1 win in the first leg in Genoa,[5] and secured passage to the second round with a 2–0 victory at San Mamés.

[7] The Birmingham side took a 2–0 lead just after half time at Villa Park, and a late goal from Javi González was not enough to prevent Athletic's elimination.