St Johnstone will face Galatasaray in the Europa League.
It is a sentence that still sounds a little surreal, as is the thought of Fatih Terim, Ryan Babel and Radomel Falcao striding in to McDiarmid Park on August 12.
Callum Davidson, the consummate professional that he is, will swiftly turn his attention to defeating the Turkish giants — they are hardly in fine fettle after a 7-2 aggregate shellacking at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, after all.
Supporters, however, can simply soak up the build-up to one of the most glamorous fixtures in their history, immediately joining Hamburg, Monaco and Rosenborg on the list of luminaries with which the Saints have crossed swords.
Courier Sport has taken a deeper delve into what awaits Davidson’s men.
GALATASARAY
The gaffer: Fatih Terim
A true icon of Turkish football will arrive at McDiarmid Park in the form of 67-year-old Fatih Terim.
His status as a Gala legend was already assured by virtue of his playing career, with the loyal defender winning three Turkish Cups and making more than 300 appearances for the club.
However, those numbers pale into insignificance when compared to his coaching achievements.
Terim has managed Turkey on three occasions — guiding his nation to the Euro 2008 semi-final — and has enjoyed four spells as Galatasaray manager, claiming 17 major honours, including the 2000 UEFA Cup.
He also bossed in Serie A with Milan and Fiorentina.
Star man: Ryan Babel
The former Liverpool winger has rediscovered his swagger and creative streak in Turkey and is the mercurial talisman of a star-studded attack.
Now 34, Babel still managed to notch seven goals and five assists as Galatasaray finished second in the Turkish Super Lig behind Besiktas last season.
Should you successfully shackle Babel, there is the small matter of ex-Atletico Madrid and Manchester United marksman Radamel Falcao with which to be concerned.
Younes Belhanda, with six goals and three assists in the 2020/21 league campaign, is a constant threat, with a penchant for cutting in from the flank and fizzing shots on target and Kerem Akturkoglu, 22, is one of Turkish football’s most promising midfield talents.
Netherlands international Patrick van Aanholt joined Gala this week, while Romanian prodigy Olimpiu Morutan is expected to arrive in a £15m deal — however, neither are likely to impact the encounter with St Johnstone.
The history
Founded in 1905, Galatasaray are the most successful club in Turkey with 22 Super Lig titles to their name and 18 Turkish Cup wins.
That domestic dominance translated to European glory when they won the UEFA Cup in 2000, defeating Arsenal on penalties following a turgid 0-0 draw at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen
The away leg
Galatasaray will be robbed of the availability of their usual 52,223-capacity Turk Telekom Stadium base, with renovation work currently taking place at the the £180 million arena.
Instead, the Saintees will travel to the suitably-named Fatih Terim Stadium (we did say he was an icon), the 17,156-capacity home of Istanbul Basaksehir, next Thursday.
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson thrilled to get McDiarmid Park green light for Europa League
