WAC – or Wolfsberger Athletic Club – were founded in 1931, with the RZ Pellets part of their name supplied by club sponsors more recently. They finished last season in seventh spot in Austria’s top flight and began this 2014/15 campaign – already underway – with a 4-1 win against Admira on Saturday.

Maximilian Funnell, a Chelsea supporter who grew up in Bromley but moved to Austria when he was six, takes up their story in greater detail.

‘Since their first promotion into the second tier of Austrian football in 1946, WAC faced a constant battle against relegation and then trying to again get promoted,’ he says.

‘This started to change in 2007, however, as the club continually grew stronger before finally getting promoted into the highest Austrian division ahead of the 2012/13 season. Many in Austria thought that was a bad thing for the quality of the league and concluded they were destined for relegation.

‘Well, might I say that the self-named “Wolfe” taught them otherwise. Wolfsberg showed the big clubs like Austria Vienna, Red Bull Salzburg and especially Rapid Vienna that they should not underestimate them.

‘After a fantastic start to the campaign, during which they spent much time in the top three, they ended the season in fifth, narrowly missing out on the fourth spot which would have ensured Europa League football. Last season, after many of their players were signed by bigger teams, they ended seventh.

‘Even though their standing might not be that of one of the bigger clubs in Austria – like Rapid Vienna or Red Bull Salzburg – they are always good for a surprise and shouldn’t be underestimated,’ Funnell concludes.

He goes on to explain that the Klagenfurt stadium, where Chelsea will take on WAC today at 6.30pm UK time, is one of the most advanced football grounds in Austria, having been refurbished for the 2008 European Championships. It held three Group B games.

That tournament was not a success on the pitch for Austria, who along with Switzerland were hosts, but as another locally-based supporter, 18-year-old Niklas Schutzeneder, outlines, things are looking up for the national team.

‘Austria's major sport is skiing and winter sports more generally,’ he says. ‘Nevertheless, football plays a huge role in our society and our national team can look back on some huge progress in the last few years.

‘Stars like David Alaba of Bayern Munich and Marko Arnautovic of Stoke are one of the reasons why the national team has enjoyed increased success of late, narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2014 World Cup.’