Hearts' European gamble: McGowan warns of big tests in Austria

Former defender Ryan McGowan says Hearts will place a “massive emphasis” on Europe as the Edinburgh club prepares for its first Champions League qualifier in 20 years, travelling to Austria for the upcoming this season opening leg against Sturm Graz.

A victory would set up a meeting with either Fenerbahce or Gornik Zabrze and guarantee a place in the league phase of the Europa League, while the losers would face Benfica or St Gallen in the Europa League qualifying round.

McGowan told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast that "Hearts will be quietly confident. They are not playing a heavyweight, but it is a difficult game. It's a real test to see where they are at. They will hope they can get some kind of result to stay in the tie." He added, "If they can get through this one, they will have big, big games coming up."

Tony Bloom’s impact in Europe with Brighton and Union Saint‑Gilloise illustrates the player‑trading model that all three clubs use, and McGowan believes a massive emphasis on European football makes the club more attractive to players and a better place to sell from.

Following an "almost perfect season" in which Hearts were unbeaten at home but missed the title to Celtic on the last day, the club has undergone a major summer rebuild: manager Derek McInnes left for Rangers, top scorer Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin departed, and replacement head coach Wouter Vrancken arrived with nine new signings.

McGowan noted the anger at losing the manager and top scorer but said fans are excited about the bigger picture, adding that many feel Derek McInnes was not the man to take Hearts to the next level in terms of winning the league and Europe.

Midfielder Laurent Mendy is poised to join before the second leg at home to Sturm Graz, while speculation surrounds Portuguese forward Claudio Braga. McGowan warned that if the club can command numbers reported between £6m and £10m, Braga will be sold, describing it as part of Tony Bloom’s template of finding more "Bragas" to provide a platform.

The contrast between Hearts' ambitious European focus and the practical challenges of rebuilding the squad highlights that confidence must be matched by on‑field results if the club is to fulfil its continental aspirations.