 After the departure of Mateja Kežman that summer, Iliev formed a strike partnership with Andrija Delibašić.They became a formidable duo in the following period, as the team won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003.In the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, Iliev scored the only goal in a 1–0 return leg win against Newcastle United at St James' Park, resulting in a 1–1 draw on aggregate.