Hearts beat Rapid Vienna on penalties in Vienna to reach Conference League league phase (26 August)
Hearts beat Rapid Vienna on penalties at the Allianz Stadion in Vienna on Thursday, 26 August, to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League league phase draw and the accompanying fixtures in October, November and December.
Three months after a final-day defeat on 16 May that denied them a first Scottish top-flight title in 66 years, Hearts have turned runner-up status into European reward under new head coach Wouter Vrancken amid significant squad turnover. The club has signed 12 players this summer while others have departed, and Thursday’s success guarantees two games each in October, November and December in the Conference League. Vrancken, who replaced the previous manager over the summer, said: "They have to learn that they're a good team, that they're good players, that they can show it," he told BBC Scotland.
Hearts' path through European qualifying had produced heavy aggregate defeats earlier in the campaign, losing 6-0 to Sturm Graz in the Champions League second qualifying round and 7-1 to Benfica in the Europa League qualifiers. Facing Rapid Vienna in the Conference League play-off was viewed as another stern test, although the tie carried less weight than those previous opponents. The article notes that roughly this time last year Dundee United took Rapid to penalties in qualifying, and an improved domestic run after a losing start at Aberdeen raised belief that group-stage football was attainable.
The tie arrived level after a 2-2 first leg, and Rapid took a 1-0 lead in Austria through Ercan Kara before Hearts were reduced to 10 men by a red card for Tomas Magnusson. Pierre Landry Kabore later scored to force extra time, keeping Hearts alive in the contest despite being a man down.
Extra time produced late drama when Calvin Miller’s volley almost won it for Hearts, only for Nenad Cvetkovic to equalise on 119 minutes and push the tie to penalties. In the shootout Beau Reus saved Moulaye Haidara’s attempt and, after Oisin McEntee had a spot-kick blocked, Marco Tilio converted for Hearts. Reus made a decisive stop to seal a 4-3 victory on penalties.
Vrancken reflected on his team’s performance after the match, saying: "When you see the game, we played a really bad first half, a little bit similar as we did in Benfica," he explained. "We made agreements, we had a game plan and we didn't follow up, we didn't show the guts to follow up. "When you play against a side like Rapid Vienna, when you don't show it, they can play through you. We were already pretty angry at half-time and we came out, we did much better. "We took the game in our hands, we were dominant at that moment. This is already a mental strength, coming back on 1-0 down and coming back like this. "Again, in the extra time, you try to take the game with you to Hearts and to Edinburgh, then you get a mental kick again in the last minute of the extra time. "Again, I'm so proud of these guys that they stay in the game, focused and concentrated to win the penalties. "We can make more steps in the coming weeks and hope that we can take the steps as soon as possible."
Progress in the competition carries financial benefit and increases fixture load, with Hearts now facing at least six more European matches this season. Former Hearts player Ryan Stevenson said: "I think they'll definitely need to bring in another two or three anyway when you look at the League Cup, the six games in Europe, the league, which is so important," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. Allan Preston added: "They've got people ready to come if they're needed," and: "They are ready. They don't wait until things happen. They already do things. "If they need to, they'll be pushing the button before the transfer window closes. They will get better, they'll produce better." Vrancken also confirmed a team concern after Tom Renaud picked up a first-half injury: "That's the biggest disappointment of the evening," lamented Vrancken. "It's not looking good but I hope for him that it's OK. We have to look there because he was also really good in the last game. "We're talking every day about those things and we'll see in the next weeks."
Hearts’ immediate confirmed next step is participation in Friday’s Conference League league phase draw and the resulting schedule that includes two fixtures in each of October, November and December, with at least six European matches now added to their season calendar.
