The 2008-09 campaign was a season of agonizing near-misses for Hamburger SV as The Rothosen finished a strong 5th in the Bundesliga, narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot. Under manager Martin Jol, the team made a brilliant run to the semi-finals of both the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Cup, only to be dramatically eliminated in both by bitter rivals Werder Bremen. Leading the charge was the prolific forward Mladen Petrić, whose 12 league goals provided crucial firepower in a season defined by those brutal, heartbreaking Nordderby encounters.