Wouter Vrancken has made no secret of his ambition to guide Hearts into the Champions League group stage, with the Belgian head coach preparing for his first competitive match in charge against Sturm Graz in less than two weeks.
Champions League Ambition
Vrancken, who took over at Tynecastle this summer, will lead the Jambos into the second qualifying round of the Champions League, with the away leg in Austria scheduled for 12 days' time. The tie represents Hearts' first shot at Europe's elite club competition in two decades.
Speaking about the magnitude of the opportunity, Vrancken said: "It's a place where you want to play and where you want to coach, in the Champions League. It's the top of what you can do in football, I think. So it's very important and also knowing that if you qualify against Sturm Graz you're already sure of the Europa League league phase. So there's also a good motivation, I think, for these first games. But the Champions League is the highest so everybody will do everything to play there."
Previous Experience
Vrancken has experienced the Champions League qualifying rounds only once before, when his KRC Genk side fell to Servette in the second qualifying round in 2023 after a penalty shootout. Genk subsequently dropped into the Europa League and then the Conference League, finishing third in a group behind Fiorentina and Ferencvaros. The following year, he guided KAA Gent to the knockout phase play-offs of the Conference League before losing to Real Betis.
Despite the odds being stacked against Hearts—who would need to win three qualifying rounds to reach the lucrative league phase—Vrancken is dreaming big. Victory over Sturm Graz would guarantee at least a place in the Europa League league phase.
Pre-Season Preparations
Hearts returned from a week-long intensive pre-season training camp in Spain on Monday and will step up their preparations with a friendly against Livingston in West Lothian on Wednesday for Scott Pittman's testimonial.
Vrancken's squad is also adapting to changes in the coaching staff. Set-piece specialist Ross Grant has left Gorgie for Celtic, leaving a void that assistant coach Tim Smolders is currently filling. Sporting director Graeme Jones is actively seeking a replacement.
Vrancken commented on the search: "For now we are managing it in the staff, of course. We have Tim, as an assistant, who did it in the past with Union. We are now also talking with Graeme to try to replace him and what fits best. You don't have to replace somebody just to replace him. It has to be quality, of course. And you have to trust him. And he has the expertise to do it very well. It's a very important part of football these days. So, 30 per cent of goals or something like this are scored by a set-piece. It's important. So, just talking and seeing some profiles and considering some profiles. In the meantime, we manage with the staff."
