# 1998–99 Eintracht Frankfurt season

The 1998–99 Eintracht Frankfurt season was the 99th season in the club's football history. In 1998–99 the club played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football. It was the club's 97th season in the first tier and the club's first season back in the Bundesliga, having been promoted from the 2. Bundesliga in 1997–1998 season.
The season ended in one of the most exciting final matchdays in Bundesliga history when Eintracht secured their Bundesliga spot on day 34.
Prior to the last match far behind Eintracht won three matches in a row. Eintracht hosted reigning champions Kaiserslautern, who were contending for a Champions League spot, on the last matchday. The match ended 5-1 and sent Nürnberg down to the 2. Bundesliga on goal difference. The ultimate goal was scored by Jan Åge Fjørtoft, who scored one of the most famous Bundesliga goals in the 89th minute when performing a step-over right in front of Lautern's goalkeeper Andreas Reinke before marking Eintracht's fifth goal.

## Results
### Friendlies

Win  Draw  Loss

### Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

#### Bundesliga
##### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 13 | Werder Bremen | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 38 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 14 | Hansa Rostock | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 49 | 58 | −9 | 38 | |
| 15 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 37 | |
| 16 | 1. FC Nürnberg (R) | 34 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 40 | 50 | −10 | 37 | Relegation to 2. Bundesliga |
| 17 | VfL Bochum (R) | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 40 | 65 | −25 | 29 | Relegation to 2. Bundesliga |
* ↑ Werder Bremen won the DFB-Pokal (domestic cup) and thus qualified for the UEFA Cup.

##### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: Competitive matches

##### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H |
| Result | L | L | D | D | L | W | D | L | L | W | D | W | W | L | L | L | L | D | L | D | L | D | D | W | L | L | L | D | L | D | W | W | W | W |
| Position | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 |

##### Matches
#### DFB-Pokal
## Players
### First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | MKD | Oka Nikolov |
| 2 | MF | GER | Sascha Amstätter |
| 3 | DF | NGA | Donald Agu |
| 4 | DF | NOR | Tore Pedersen |
| 5 | DF | BUL | Petar Hubchev |
| 6 | DF | GER | Thomas Zampach |
| 7 | FW | GER | Thomas Epp |
| 8 | MF | GER | Ralf Weber |
| 9 | FW | NOR | Jan Åge Fjørtoft |
| 10 | MF | POL | Thomas Sobotzik |
| 11 | MF | GER | Marco Gebhardt |
| 12 | GK | HUN | Zsolt Petry |
| 14 | DF | GER | Uwe Schneider |
| 15 | MF | GER | Bernd Schneider |
| 16 | MF | GER | Olaf Janßen |
| 17 | MF | HUN | István Pisont |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | GER | Alexander Kutschera |
| 19 | MF | BRA | Antônio da Silva |
| 20 | DF | GER | Uwe Bindewald |
| 21 | FW | CHN | Yang Chen |
| 22 | DF | TUR | Burhanettin Kaymak |
| 23 | GK | GER | Sven Schmitt |
| 24 | MF | GER | Alexander Schur |
| 26 | FW | YUG | Damir Stojak (on loan from Napoli) |
| 29 | MF | GER | Frank Gerster |
| 30 | MF | AUT | Christoph Westerthaler |
| 31 | FW | NGA | Henry Nwosu |
| 32 | MF | GER | Ansgar Brinkmann |
| 33 | MF | GER | Alexander Lorenz |
| 35 | MF | MAR | Mourad Bounoua |
| — | MF | GER | Stefan Zinnow |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 4 | MF | GER | Thorsten Flick (on loan to Napoli) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 9 | FW | SUI | Urs Güntensperger (to Lausanne-Sport) |

### Eintracht Frankfurt II

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | CMR | Jean-Paul Ndeki |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | GER | Michael Mutzel |

### Under-19s

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | GER | Jermaine Jones |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | GER | Albert Streit |

### Under-17s

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | GER | Daniel Haas |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Bundesliga | Bundesliga | DFB-Pokal | DFB-Pokal |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | MKD | Oka Nikolov | 36 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | MF | GER | Sascha Amstätter | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | GER | Thorsten Flick | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | NOR | Tore Pedersen | 20 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | BUL | Petar Hubchev | 28 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | GER | Thomas Zampach | 22 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | GER | Thomas Epp | 10 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | DF | GER | Ralf Weber | 22 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SUI | Urs Güntensperger | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | NOR | Jan Åge Fjørtoft | 17 | 6 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | GER | Thomas Sobotzik | 31 | 8 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | GER | Marco Gebhardt | 19 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | GK | HUN | Zsolt Petry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | GER | Uwe Schneider | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | GER | Bernd Schneider | 35 | 6 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | MF | GER | Olaf Janßen | 16 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | HUN | István Pisont | 19 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | DF | GER | Alexander Kutschera | 31 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | GER | Uwe Bindewald | 34 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | CHN | Yang Chen | 25 | 9 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | DF | TUR | Burhanettin Kaymak | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | GER | Sven Schmitt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | GER | Alexander Schur | 32 | 4 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | GER | Alexander Rosen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | SCG | Damir Stojak | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | GER | Frank Gerster | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | AUT | Christoph Westerthaler | 29 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | MF | NGA | Henry Nwosu | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | GER | Ansgar Brinkmann | 31 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 35 | MF | MAR | Mourad Bounoua | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | MF | GER | Stefan Zinnow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Transfers
#### Summer

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 3 | DF | NGA | Donald Agu (from FC Augsburg) |
| 4 | DF | NOR | Tore Pedersen (from Blackburn Rovers) |
| 9 | FW | NOR | Jan Åge Fjørtoft (from Barnsley) |
| 12 | GK | HUN | Zsolt Petry (from Feyenoord) |
| 14 | MF | GER | Uwe Schneider (from 1. FC Nürnberg) |
| 15 | MF | GER | Bernd Schneider (from FC Carl Zeiss Jena) |
| 17 | MF | HUN | István Pisont (from Beitar Jerusalem) |
| 21 | MF | CHN | Yang Chen (loaned from Beijing Guoan) |
| 22 | DF | TUR | Burhanettin Kaymak (from Eintracht Frankfurt II) |
| 25 | MF | GER | Alexander Rosen (from FC Augsburg) |
| 26 | MF | SCG | Damir Stojak (loaned from SSC Napoli) |
| 28 | MF | GER | Patrick Glöckner (was loaned to Stuttgarter Kickers) |
| 29 | MF | GER | Frank Gerster (from Bayern Munich II) |
| 33 | MF | GER | Michael Mutzel (from FC Augsburg) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 3 | MF | GER | Dirk Wolf (to FC St. Pauli) |
| 4 | MF | GER | Thorsten Flick (loaned to SSC Napoli) |
| 13 | MF | BIH | Sead Mehić (loaned to SV Meppen) |
| 17 | FW | GER | Oliver Bunzenthal (loaned to SV Wehen) |
| 21 | MF | GER | Renato Levy (loaned to FSV Frankfurt) |
| 33 | MF | LBR | Jonathan Sawieh (loaned to Waldhof Mannheim) |

#### Winter

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 35 | MF | MAR | Mourad Bounoua (from Stuttgarter Kickers) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |