Take a look at the Russian Premier League table, and you will see a club established as recently as 2018 fighting for the title.
FC Sochi are currently in second place, just two points behind champions Zenit - who they managed to beat in St.Petersburg in the beginning of October – and they are not shy of dreaming big. Champions League qualification is not out of question.
Sochi are a curious case; their very existence is a result of a political decision made ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
The Russian government needed a team to play at the Fisht Olympic Stadium, which hosted six matches during the tournament, including the dramatic 3-3 draw between Spain and Portugal when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick.
Thus Dinamo St Petersburg's license was used - the second division team technically relocated south to the Black Sea coast and a new adventure began.
"It was an instruction from above," Ivan Zhidkov, chief editor of Sport Den Za Dnem newspaper tells Goal. "St Petersburg have never wanted more than one club in the city – they only support Zenit. Dinamo had no infrastructure to become a decent team there.
“On the other hand, it was important to prevent Fisht from becoming a white elephant, even more so because it really is a superb modern stadium – one of the best in the country."
Boris Rotenberg, one of Russia's wealthiest businessmen and a close friend of Vladimir Putin since they practiced judo together in St Petersburg as youngsters, became the owner of the new entity – and Sochi have never looked back.
They were promoted to the Premier League at the first time of asking and proceeded to build a strong squad - albeit with Zenit's help. In the summer of 2019, no fewer than eight Zenit players moved to Sochi, including some on loan.
It was then widely assumed by fans that Gazprom - the majority state-owned energy giant - had some kind of financial interest in the new team, with Sochi considered Zenit's farm club.
Fans came to expect that Sochi would lose to Zenit and pointed to four such defeats in their first couple of seasons as a proof of their theory. However, the clubs are totally independent from one another, and Sochi officials angrily denied such accusations.
Now, after recording their first win over Zenit, they can be seen as legitimate contenders for the title.
Their progress had been quite remarkable. Sochi used the 2019-20 season to become accustomed to the Premier League, and last term – led by the wily coach Vladimir Fedotov – they finished fifth, thus qualifying for the brand new Europa Conference League.
The Russians were eliminated by Partizan Belgrade on penalties just before the group stage, but left a good impression in the first continental campaign – and are now aiming much higher.
"Sochi might not have the strongest squad in the league, but they are very well managed and have a solid strategy, unlike many bigger clubs," Zhidkov explains. "Fedotov is a very good coach, who works in harmony with the sporting director Andrey Orlov.
"There is a healthy atmosphere at the club, and it won't be a major surprise if they remain near the top of the table until the end of the season."
Sochi's main problem is that they are located in a town that does not really like football. The previous club, Zhemchuzhina Sochi, only played in the top division in 1992 and 2000, before being dissolved in 2003.
"Fisht is way too far from the city centre, and it's not easy to convince people to go and watch football. However, the Black Sea resort is popular with away fans when major clubs like Zenit and Spartak play there – it's a good opportunity to support your team and arrange a vacation at the same time," Zhidkov says.
Only four players who moved directly from Zenit remain at the club. The best of them is veteran, 36-year-old Ecuadorian midfield general Christian Noboa, who has played in Russia since 2007, won two championship titles with Rubin Kazan, and was part of the team that famously beat Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League in 2009.
The younger South American generation is represented by 24-year-old Colombian striker Mateo Cassierra, who was discarded by Ajax and signed in the summer from Belenenses for just €1 million. He has scored three goals in five matches already, including in recent wins against Zenit and Rostov – and is an example of the club’s excellent scouting.
Some Russian fans see Sochi as a political tool and dislike the project because of their suspected links to Zenit. They are a so-called "plastic club", with no fans and no past, but they could definitely have a future.
They might become a regular fixture in European football in coming years, and visiting the resort town could become an attraction for football lovers from all over the continent.
After all, there are not too many football stadiums located just a few metres from a magnificent beach.