Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken has admitted he would have preferred more European opposition in pre-season as his side prepares to face La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano on Friday night at Tynecastle. The friendly comes just four days before Hearts' Champions League qualifying first leg against Sturm Graz in Austria.
Vrancken Excited for Tynecastle Debut
Vrancken, appointed as Derek McInnes' successor three weeks ago, is looking forward to experiencing the Tynecastle atmosphere for the first time. "I'm really excited to play for the fans. To be there next to the pitch in Tynecastle for the first time," he said. "Together with the start of the Champions League qualifier, so it's hopefully a nice week."
Rayo Vallecano, last season's Europa Conference League runners-up after losing to Crystal Palace in Leipzig, finished eighth in La Liga. New head coach Benat San Jose brings his side to Edinburgh for the match, which also marks the 140th anniversary of Tynecastle.
Pre-Season Preparations
Hearts have played four friendlies away from home, against St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Livingston, and Arbroath. Vrancken has overseen eight new signings this summer, including forward Amadou Ba-Sy, who could make his debut after illness, and Sabri Guendouz, a £850,000 arrival from Beerschot.
Vrancken stressed the importance of tactical preparation alongside fitness. "It's always about fitness and the tactical side. We cannot wait for tactical things until now. From the first game we want to see some things in the game," he explained. "The Rayo game will also be about managing minutes to be as fit as possible to Graz. But also tactical and try to make the extra step towards Graz."
Desire for More European Tests
While grateful for the strong opposition, Vrancken admitted he would have liked more European-style friendlies. "Yeah, for sure. It would be even better if we had a few opponents like this to compete with them before the Graz game," he said. "Now it's really close. We have only four days afterwards before we play Sturm Graz. But it's a good opponent. It's good that we have such a strong opponent to push ourselves."
Hearts are aiming to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time in 20 years, with the first leg against Sturm Graz on Tuesday. The friendly against Rayo Vallecano is seen as a crucial final test of Vrancken's tactical plans and squad fitness.
