The 1998-99 campaign delivered a season of great promise for Real Zaragoza as Los Maños, under new manager Chechu Rojo, finished a respectable 9th in La Liga. The season was defined by the sensational arrival of the prolific Yugoslav striker Savo Milošević, whose 17 league goals, including seven in the last eight matches, proved vital as the team, featuring key veterans like Xavier Aguado and Ander Garitano, mounted a genuine, albeit ultimately unsuccessful, push for European qualification. Despite falling four points short of Europe, the campaign's exciting start and Milošević's firepower cemented this as a pivotal chapter of renewed ambition for the club.