Heidenheim host Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening.

For Heidenheim, it’s a huge milestone for the German club, who were playing lower division football not so long ago.

Heidenheim has enjoyed a rapid rise from fifth division to European football, and facing two-time Champions League winners Chelsea for the first time, is a game of pride for them.

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt, has been with the club all the way from the non-professional ranks, and has been their manager since 2007.

In an interview with AFP, Frank Schmidt said the idea of welcoming Chelsea to Heidenheim’s 15,000-seat Voith Arena on Thursday would have been “unthinkable” just a few months ago.

“But in the end, that is now the case,” he said.

“We’ve earned this through our strong debut season in the Bundesliga.

“It will be a special evening that our club and our fans deserve.”