The 2022-23 campaign was a season of soaring ambition and devastating heartbreak for Hamburger SV as The Rothosen finished 3rd in the 2. Bundesliga, earning a shot at promotion in the play-offs for the second straight year. Leading the line was the clinical Robert Glatzel, whose 19 goals anchored a prolific attack. However, the season was ultimately defined by agonizing disappointment: they were convincingly beaten 6-1 on aggregate by VfB Stuttgart in the promotion/relegation play-off. The final day was particularly painful, as a false report of their rivals dropping points led to premature fan celebrations, only for a late Heidenheim goal to snatch the automatic promotion spot away, prolonging their long wait for a Bundesliga return and cementing a crucial but ultimately painful chapter in the club's history.