The 1997-98 campaign saw Hamburg, the Bundesliga 'Dinosaur,' secure a respectable 9th-place finish. The Rothosen's attack was spearheaded by a breakthrough performance from the young Bosnian talent, Hasan Salihamidžić, who netted a career-best 10 league goals for the club. This season, also notable for a run to the UEFA Intertoto Cup Semi-Finals and a memorable 5-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen, proved to be Salihamidžić's final year at the Volksparkstadion before his high-profile transfer to rivals Bayern Munich, marking the end of a pivotal chapter for the club's faithful.