For Fulham to arrive at this stage, facing Juventus, is some achievement.
After all it was just 14 years ago that the Italians were lifting the European Cup while Fulham were scrabbling near the bottom of England's lowest division. And now they have the chance not just to continue making history but to deliver a real statement of intent for the future.
They will face a club studded with star names - although many are missing this evening through injury - but struggling to recapture their former glories under coach Alberto Zaccharoni, who is on a short-term contract and striving to gain fourth place in Serie A and with it qualification for the Champions League, a competition they were dumped out of before Christmas by Bayern Munich.
The conditions in Italy may also be a factor. The home pitch is expected to cut up badly and Fulham agreed to Juventus's request not to train on it.
With more heavy snow forecast, it is under cover but may deteriorate further. "It will be difficult," Hodgson admitted.
With Danny Murphy suspended, after his dismissal against holders Shakhtar Donetsk, Aaron Hughes will captain the side. "I'm sure a few people across Europe would sit up if we could get a result," he said. They would indeed.
Source Jason Burt at Daily Telegraph