Fifteen years after battling near the bottom of League One, Bournemouth are preparing for one of the biggest nights in their history as seven-time European champions AC Milan visit the Vitality Stadium for a landmark Europa League clash.
For supporters who witnessed the club's financial struggles and years in the lower divisions, Thursday's encounter represents an extraordinary transformation.
"I'm pinching myself," Bournemouth supporter Kirk Tovey told BBC Sport.
"It's not long ago we were playing Oldham Athletic and Hartlepool United in League One. Now I'm about to watch us play AC Milan. It's absolute madness."
Exactly 15 years after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Bury in England's third tier, Bournemouth will face one of European football's most decorated clubs in their debut European campaign.
Former Bournemouth player and manager Tony Pulis believes the club's remarkable journey is something few could have imagined.
"Over the last decade, my hometown club has achieved dreamland," Pulis said.
"It's an unbelievable story, when I think back to what the club was like when I was player, coach and then manager there in the 1980s and early 1990s, but one that hopefully just keeps going."
Bournemouth's rise is among English football's most remarkable success stories.
The Dorset club faced liquidation in 2008, relying on supporter fundraising and emergency financial assistance to survive.
After finishing 21st in League Two during the 2008-09 season, the Cherries began an extraordinary climb through the divisions, eventually securing their first promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
Now established in England's top flight, Bournemouth are competing in European football for the first time.
Former midfielder Joe Partington, who represented the club in League One and League Two, remembers how different life was during those difficult years.
"We used to train on the park over from the stadium," Partington recalled.
"Now fans walk through the park to watch European games."
The transformation extends beyond the pitch, with major investment in training facilities, youth development and stadium infrastructure.
Demand for tickets has reached extraordinary levels as Bournemouth supporters prepare to welcome one of Europe's most prestigious clubs.
In October 2011, the Cherries were 21st in League One, having collected just 12 points from their opening 14 matches.
Crowds of around 6,000 were common, with supporters often able to purchase tickets shortly before kick-off.
Today, the situation is dramatically different.
Bournemouth's 3-0 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz attracted 12,070 spectators, their highest attendance of the 21st century.
Another capacity crowd is expected for AC Milan's visit, with many supporters unable to secure tickets.
"My niece loves Bournemouth but she's missed out because she hasn't got enough points to get a ticket," Tovey explained. "She's gutted."
The club's progress has accelerated under American billionaire Bill Foley, who completed his takeover in 2022.
Pulis praised the improvements made under the ownership group, particularly the investment in facilities and the development of a competitive Premier League squad.
"They are now an established Premier League club, with a brand new training facility that can rival most in this country," he said.
Although AC Milan no longer possess the dominance associated with their greatest European teams, the Italian giants remain one of football's most recognisable institutions.
The Rossoneri have won seven European Cups and 19 Serie A titles, with their most recent Champions League triumph coming in 2007.
Managed by former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim, Milan arrive sitting fourth in Serie A with 15 points from seven matches, four behind city rivals Inter.
For Bournemouth supporters, the opportunity to face such prestigious opposition remains special.
"This is not the AC Milan of Kaka, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Filippo Inzaghi or Clarence Seedorf," Tovey said.
"But they are still seven-time champions of Europe and they are a massive football club."
Among Milan's most recognisable players is Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, who could return to the Vitality Stadium 13 years after featuring in Real Madrid's 6-0 pre-season victory over Bournemouth in 2013.
The six-time Champions League winner, now 41, has started five matches for Milan this season.
His potential appearance adds another layer of excitement to a fixture already filled with historical significance.
The two clubs have more in common than their upcoming Europa League meeting.
Bournemouth's famous red-and-black striped shirts were inspired by AC Milan during the early 1970s.
Then-manager John Bond introduced the design as a tribute to the Italian club's European success during the previous decade.
In 1972, Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic also adopted the name AFC Bournemouth, partly to establish a more continental identity.
Former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who joined Milan in 2023, acknowledged the significance of that connection.
"The fact that Bournemouth were inspired by AC Milan shows how big the club is and the history of it," Loftus-Cheek told BBC Radio Solent.
"AC Milan have inspired people to watch football and love football."
He also praised Bournemouth's progress, describing their European qualification as a deserved achievement.
"Bournemouth belong in the Premier League and now they're playing in Europe and get a chance to play AC Milan. It's a great spectacle for the fans."
Bournemouth have made an impressive start to their maiden Europa League campaign, winning both opening matches.
Their strong domestic foundations and growing European confidence have raised expectations ahead of Milan's visit.
While the Italian side possess significantly greater European experience, Bournemouth's recent performances suggest they are capable of competing.
For Partington, the occasion represents something far more meaningful than a glamorous fixture.
"It's not a charity game or a pre-season friendly," he said.
"It's Bournemouth against AC Milan in a competitive European match. People are gobsmacked that this is now a normal thing."
Supporters share that sense of pride, believing the club's remarkable rise has earned them a place alongside Europe's established powers.
"We have earned the right to be in the Europa League through hard work and ambition," Tovey said.
"We might be little old Bournemouth but we absolutely deserve to be playing AC Milan."
From financial uncertainty and lower-league struggles to hosting one of Europe's most successful clubs, Bournemouth's journey is a testament to resilience, ambition and sustained progress.
Whatever the result against AC Milan, Thursday's historic encounter will mark another unforgettable chapter in the Cherries' extraordinary rise.
