The 2000-01 campaign was a season of unprecedented European adventure for Rayo Vallecano as Los Rayistas successfully navigated their second consecutive year in La Liga, finishing 14th. This season remains the club's most successful in Europe, with the side making a spectacular run to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, where they were only eliminated by the eventual runners-up, Deportivo Alavés. Leading the charge domestically was the team's captain and star midfielder, Míchel, whose 10 crucial goals anchored a memorable campaign that firmly cemented the club's presence in the top flight.