Photos: Maxime Michelet
Words: Tom Reed
Switzerland is known as a relatively sedate country, but when it comes to football, it has one of the most active Ultras scenes in Europe.
Indeed, the Kop Sud of FC Lausanne-Sport was not going to let the potential of Les Bleu et Blanc qualifying for Europe for the first time in 15 years pass by quietly.
Having seen off FK Vardar Skopje and FK Astana in the UEFA Conference League Qualifying Rounds, Lausanne had the daunting task of beating Turkey's Besiktas JK to reach the League Phase of the competition.
Hence, the Loz Boys and the Tricards of the Lausanne Kop Sud spent a week creating a tifo for two sides of Stade de la Tuilière, and signalled their intent with a pre-match corteo march.
The last time Lausanne played in Europe was in the 2010 Europa League, facing off against the likes of Sparta Praha and Palermo, but ultimately failing to proceed in the competition.
Bryan Okoh's last-gasp equaliser in the mid-August 1-1 home leg gave Les Lausannois hope that a result could be pulled out of the bag in Istanbul.
In any case, Lausanne-Sport went to the bear pit of the Besiktas Stadium and emerged with a 0-1 win courtesy of a composed Nathan Butler-Oyedeji strike.
There aren't many forwards that have gone from playing at Cheltenham Town to the UEFA Conference League, but 22-year-old Oyedeji has done that after having a formative loan at the League 2 club from Arsenal.
Lausanne's superb 2-1 aggregate victory made the hard yards and the long hours of the ultras worthwhile.
Now they can look forward to a glamour home tie against Fiorentina, among others, as the UEFA Conference League kicks into gear.
