The 1997-98 campaign was a season of thrilling, high-octane football for Roma as I Giallorossi surged to a crucial 4th-place finish in Serie A under the controversial new, attack-minded manager Zdeněk Zeman. Zeman's thrilling 4-3-3 system delivered a phenomenal 67 goals, an extreme rarity in defensive Italian football, spearheaded by the clinical forward Abel Balbo, whose 14 goals led the line. Most importantly, this campaign marked the international breakthrough of 21-year-old club legend Francesco Totti, who embraced his increased responsibility and captaincy by scoring 13 league goals, alongside the dazzling offensive contributions of new wing-back Cafu. The high-scoring, entertaining style of play secured a coveted UEFA Cup qualification and saw Roma finish gloriously above arch-rivals Lazio for the first time in five years.