The 1999-00 campaign was an agonizing near-miss for Bayer Leverkusen as Die Werkself finished a crushing 2nd in the Bundesliga, losing the title on goal difference to rivals Bayern Munich on the final day. They entered the last match needing just a draw for their first-ever league title but fell to a devastating 2-0 defeat against newly-promoted Unterhaching, with the ultimate setback being a cruel own goal from the emerging central midfielder Michael Ballack. Leading the line was the legendary veteran striker Ulf Kirsten, whose 17 league goals anchored the prolific attack. It was a year defined by the spectacular title race heartbreak, a result that cemented the painful "Neverkusen" nickname and remains a defining chapter in the club's history of near-misses.