Hearts are gearing up for a return to the continent and will be involved in Monday’s Europa League play-off draw.
After a good performance in their Premiership opener with Rangers, which ended in a 0-0 draw, the club will now discover their possible opponents on their latest quest in European football. Hearts competed in the Europa Conference League qualifiers last season before elimination by PAOK prior to the group stage section, but they are guaranteed continental football beyond Halloween this term after finishing third in campaign 23/24.
The Europa League play-off round draw takes place on August 5th in Nyon, Switzerland. Late morning or early afternoon is the likely time it will take place, with UEFA set to release seedings, possible groupings and procedure details at 7:30am on Monday. There is a high likelihood that Steven Naismith’s team and fans looking to book trips away won’t know who they’ll face for definite due to this draw taking prior to third qualifying round action in the Europa League and Champions League has taken place.
The losing team in each of the six Champions League ties in the Champions Path and 13 winners in the Europa League third qualifying section will join Hearts Anderlecht, LASK, Besiktas and TSC for the play-off phase.
Anderlecht and LASK are the two teams definitely on the seeded side of the draw, with Hearts in the unseeded section. Matches in the play-off round will take place on August 22nd and 29th, and should they win, Hearts enter the league phase in the Europa League which lasts eight matches. A loss will see them drop into the league phase of the Conference League where there are six matches. Here’s the possible teams who could come to Tynecastle this month, and what nations they are from.
