Turning our gaze towards the continent, Austria beckons us to the city of Graz, where we find footballing stalwarts, Sturm Graz. The club decided to put down roots in the year of 1909, a year noteworthy for its lack of any notable other footballing events. Sturm Graz play ball at their home ground, the quaintly named Merkur-Arena.
The side is a relatively youthful one, boasting an average age of just 23 amongst its 21-strong squad. Whether this is a testament to a visionary youth policy or a damning indictment on football's cruel ageism, only the fruits of coming seasons will tell.
Sturm Graz are no idle strollers in the park this season. They've decided to spread their wings across four competitions. Second place in the Bundesliga hints at the promise of domestic glory. Simultaneously, their progress to the quarter-finals of the ÖFB Cup sparks ambitious dreams of cup grandeur. Their valiant attempts in the Champions League qualifiers ended just shy of the group stages, but that's not where their European adventures concluded. Their journey continues in the Europa League's league phase, where they aim to make a notable mark.