Fatih Karagumruk are currently fifth in the Turkish Super Lig and nursing European ambitions which is impressive for a team that was only just promoted back to the top flight in 2020.
How have they achieved that you ask? By stockpiling what can be best described as previously great talent to do the job, similar to what Chinese and American clubs do.
A glance at the team's squad sheet could send staunch football fans on an unexpected trip down memory lane, some of these players might have been wrongly categorised as retirees by the football world.
Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa joined Fatih Karagumruk at the start of the season after a brief spell with Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Although still only 29 years old, Musa is past his prime, those years were spent at VVV Venlo, CSKA Moscow and Leicester City from where it all started to go downhill for his playing career.
The Super Eagles captain has scored four goals and provided two assists in 30 games across all competitions for Karagumruk this season.
ALSO READ
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa celebrates Eid al-Fitr holiday
Ahmed Musa plays 69 minutes to help Fatih Karagumruk secure a comeback win against Konyaspor
Super Eagles star Odion Ighalo celebrates Eid al-Fitr holiday with kids in Saudi Arabia [Photos]
Lucas Biglia
Argentine midfield maestro Lucas Biglia now struts his stuff in the middle of the park for Fatih Karagumruk as the club captain.
The 36-year old joined Karagumruk in the summer of 2020 after being released from his contract by AC Milan and has been instrumental in helping establish Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig.
Biglia previously played for Anderlecht, Lazio, and AC Milan and made 58 appearances for the Argentine national team.
Fabio Borini
Former Italian prodigy, Fabio Borini now plays for Fatih Karagumruk, the ninth club of his disappointing career going by what was expected of him when he started at Chelsea.
He has since gone on to join Parma, Liverpool, Sunderland, AC Milan and Hellas Verona with loan spells at Swansea and Roma to account for.
Now 31 years old, the Italian winger has been at Karagumruk where he has returned 14 goals and six assists in 41 appearances since joining in the summer of 2020.
Emre Mor
When Borussia Dortmund signed Emre Mor in 2016 on a five-year contract, they were convinced they had landed the teenage Lionel Messi but things didn't work out at all.
One year later Celta Vigo paid €13 million for his services in hopes that he would fulfil his potential at Balaidos but that hasn't happened either.
Mor at Karagumruk is on his third consecutive loan spell since falling out of favour at Celta Vigo due to attitude issues having previously gone on loan to Galatasaray and Olympiacos in the last two seasons.
The positive thing in his case is that he is still only 24 years old and can still turn his career around but five goals and three assists in 26 games so far on loan at Karagumruk do not inspire much confidence.
Emiliano Viviano
Emiliano Viviano is an established Italian goalkeeper who manned the sticks for the likes of Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Bologna, Palermo and now Fatih Karagumruk where he's been since the summer of 2020.
Viviano is more known for his time at Arsenal, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon as a backup goalkeeper each for a season and he never made a single appearance.