Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski decided to spend a free Sunday watching his former side Koln's opening match of the season.
Podolski started his career with the Cologne outfit, making just shy of 200 appearances for his first team either side of a spell with Bayern Munich.
The 28-year-old used Twitter to inform fans that he returned home to watch Koln face Fortuna Dusseldorf in the first Rhineland derby for over 14 years.
He tweeted: "1st day after Asia trip. Visiting family in Cologne and hopefully we ll see a triumph of a STRONG FC."
Koln's opening fixture of the new campaign ended in a 1-1 draw, with Podolski posting a tribute to the club's fans for their strong support.
His final tweet of the day, which included a picture of the Koln home end, read: "Nice to be back in Cologne Arena. Met old friends, enjoyed atmosphere and this choreo;)"
The Gunners have just returned from a pre-season tour of Asia and are due back at London Colney for training later this week ahead of the Emirates Cup.
Liam Power
