Liverpool FC v Atletico de Madrid - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 Florian Wirtz attacking midfield of Liverpool and Germany prior uring the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool England United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJosexBretonx originalFilename:bretonhernandez-liverpoo250917_npxTu.jpg
Hearts are set to discover their Champions League second qualifying round opponents as the draw approaches, with Fenerbahce or Sturm Graz awaiting the Edinburgh club.
The Jambos enter at the second qualifying round stage after finishing as Scottish Premiership runners-up, falling just short on a painful final day defeat to Celtic.
Hearts have endured a turbulent summer off the pitch, with captain Lawrence Shankland departing for Rangers via a contract clause before the transfer window fully opened.
Manager Steven Naismith is also reportedly on the brink of following Shankland to Ibrox, leaving Tynecastle in a state of considerable upheaval ahead of European competition.
The Tynecastle hierarchy are running names of potential new bosses through Jamestown Analytics as they search for a replacement to lead the club into Europe.
Whoever takes charge will inherit a Champions League qualifying tie as one of their very first tasks in what amounts to a baptism of fire.
Hearts already know they will face either Turkish giants Fenerbahce or Austrian side Sturm Graz, with the draw scheduled for June 17, 2026, and the Jambos unseeded throughout.
First legs are scheduled for July 21 and 22, with return legs a week later on July 28 and 29, giving the new manager precious little time to prepare.
Reaching the Champions League league phase would be transformative financially, with minimum prize money for that stage standing at around £17.5 million for the club.
In total, navigating all the way through qualifying and performing in the league phase could ultimately be worth around £40 million to Hearts across the full competition.
Sturm Graz have confirmed they will be able to host Hearts at their own 16,364-capacity Liebenau Stadium, having completed upgrades to floodlights and electrical cables ahead of schedule.
The Austrians had previously earmarked the Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, around 83 miles south of Graz, as an alternative venue while refurbishment works were ongoing.
If Hearts were to eliminate Fenerbahce, they would take their seeding into the third qualifying round and potentially face a “data derby” with Union Saint-Gilloise.
Union Saint-Gilloise are a Belgian club in which Tony Bloom holds a minority stake, with their recruitment also powered by Jamestown Analytics, the same firm Hearts use.
USG finished runners-up behind Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League and lifted the Belgian Cup, making them the model Hearts have openly stated they hope to emulate.
Motherwell and Hibernian are also watching the Conference League draw with significant interest, with both Scottish clubs involved in the first qualifying round.
Motherwell, also currently without a permanent manager, earned a fourth-place Premiership finish last season and secured their Conference League spot through that impressive campaign.
Hibs finished fifth, and Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final victory ensured the Edinburgh club entered European competition via the Conference League pathway this summer.
In a notable quirk, Motherwell are unseeded for the Conference League draw despite finishing one place above Hibs in the Premiership, meaning the Steelmen face a tougher potential draw.
Motherwell could face opponents including FC Copenhagen, HJK Helsinki, or Zrinjski Mostar, while seeded Hibs have a more favourable draw that still includes Azerbaijani side Qarabag as a possible opponent.
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