FC Koln are back in European action for the first time in 25 years, and that means a hell of a lot to the loyal supporters who have kept the club one of the best supported in Germany throughout that long barren spell.
There were even relegations along the way, but now they are back on the continent and have been rewarded with a Europa League 'glamour tie' against Arsenal at the Emirates, where they will be looking to prove a point and pick up a positive result.
As soon as the draw was made there would have been a buzz around the club, but nobody outside of Cologne would have expected the reaction to be quite what it was as it emerged that 20,000 fans would be making the trip to London, which was enough for the local banks to run out of pounds sterling to exchange.
Banks in Cologne quite literally ran out of British Pounds thanks to 20,000 FC Köln fans who've travelled to Arsenal away.
Mental #AFCvCOL pic.twitter.com/zzGV6eFCSS— Felix Tamsut (@ftamsut) September 14, 2017
The fact that only 2,000 fans will have travelled with guaranteed tickets from the club did not deter them, and they travelled in their numbers for a party in London, but incredibly, their presence as forced kick-off to be delayed as there is just so many of them.
The kick-off of #AFCvCOL has been delayed by an hour in the interests of crowd safety
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) September 14, 2017
Kick-off delayed because so many fans outside ground that there's huge congestion. Also lots of Koln fans without tickets. It's for safety.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) September 14, 2017
Footage emerged earlier of a march of the Koln fans through the city, and it does a decent job of illustrating just how many of them there were.
Saw plenty of FC Koln fans in London this morning. Over 20,000 here for Europa League game v Arsenal. Magnificent pic.twitter.com/j9U2qgAEYt
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) September 14, 2017
We just had this coming down the street. Koln fans arriving for a trip to the Emirates Stadium. Long walk! pic.twitter.com/tUPHNTvx4r
— Ken Loach (@KenLoachSixteen) September 14, 2017
There is going to be quite an atmosphere at The Emirates tonight when it eventually kicks off.
FC Koln sit in 18th position in the Bundesliga having lost all three of the opening games of their season, so they will be hoping that a win tonight can kick start their season.
