Hearts drawn against Sturm Graz as manager and transfer turmoil deepen Champions League challenge

Heart of Midlothian’s Champions League qualifying campaign begins in Austria against Sturm Graz in the second qualifying round, with the first leg scheduled for 21 or 22 July — a daunting assignment made harder by serious upheaval off the pitch.

The Edinburgh club must win three qualifying rounds to reach the 36-team league phase, which begins in September. Their path is considerably steeper than that of Scottish champions Celtic, who enter at the play-offs stage in late August.

Hearts’ preparations have been severely disrupted by the departure of top scorer Lawrence Shankland, who has joined city rivals Rangers after representing Scotland at the World Cup. The blow is compounded by reports that Ibrox are also set to lure head coach Derek McInnes away from Tynecastle — potentially just five weeks before the Sturm Graz first leg.

The Austrian side represent a stern opening test, and the challenge does not ease should Hearts advance. Potential third-round opponents include Bodo/Glimt, Lyon, and Union Saint-Gilloise — all clubs with recent continental pedigree.

The turmoil follows a painful end to the domestic season, in which Hearts surrendered the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic on the final day, leaving the Champions League route as their most significant remaining ambition — and their most precarious.

Elsewhere in the draw for runners-up from mid-ranked leagues, Turkish giants Fenerbahce were paired with Polish side Gornik Zabrze. Among the title-holders’ section, Swiss champions Thun face Champions League regulars Dinamo Zagreb, while Sweden’s Mjällby will meet either Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar or Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra. Red Star Belgrade, winners of the 1991 European Cup, were drawn to play away first against Tre Fiori of San Marino or Northern Ireland’s Larne.