Atalanta fans travelling to Austria for tonight’s Europa League game to Sturm Graz took a detour to salute their former player Josip Ilicic in Slovenia.
The game kicks off in Graz this evening at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).
A group of over 100 ultras made their way from Bergamo to Austria for the match, but decided to make the most of the opportunity by using it to pay a visit to an old friend.
Ilicic played 136 games in the Atalanta jersey, scoring 47 goals, and helped them reach the Champions League quarter-finals in 2020.
He was struggling with mental health issues and chose to return home to Slovenia and specifically Maribor to see out his career.
The 35-year-old was overwhelmed to see the Atalanta ultras turn up at his training ground, where they put up a large banner, gave him gifts and chanted his name.
There are reports Ilicic will return the favour by crossing the border to attend the match and cheer on Atalanta against Sturm Graz.