The 1998 season started extremely poorly and after six matches the team was bottom of the table, however the team picked up and for a while held second spot, only to end up sixth after having lost their two biggest profiles during the summer break, Arnor Gudjohnsen and top goal scorer Dan Sahlin. The next year, 1999, the club again started poorly but grew stronger over summer. However, as autumn came the form faded and the club had to suffer play-off matches against Assyriska FF and it wasn't until the second match, on extra time, that Örebro was able to win and stay in Allsvenskan. Keeper Anders Karlsson also became the player with most appearances for the club with 373 matches in total. After the 1999 season, Dahlkvist left his position as both coach and technical director after 12 mostly successful years with the club, including the promotion in 1988, the 1994 silver and the medals in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1997.