Hearts face a steep climb after Graz exit, Braga warns

The 6‑0 aggregate loss to Sturm Graz has knocked Hearts out of the Champions League, consigning the club to the Europa League qualifiers and placing new head coach Wouter Vracken under immediate pressure to reverse a turbulent start this season.

Hearts entered the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Austrian side Sturm Graz. The tie offered the Scottish club its first chance to progress in Europe under Vracken.

After a 4‑0 loss in the first leg, Hearts were beaten 2‑0 at home on Tuesday night, sealing a 6‑0 aggregate defeat. The result drops the team into the Europa League qualifiers, where they will face either Benfica or St Gallen.

Wouter Vracken, the Belgian appointed as head coach, is striving to install a completely new style of play at Hearts. He inherited a squad that has undergone a massive summer overhaul, with many new players arriving.

Key striker Lawrence Shankland, along with several teammates, followed former manager Derek McInnes to Rangers after last season’s agonising title near miss. Their departures have left Hearts without one of their most prolific goal‑scorers.

"I feel like it's early, of course," said Portuguese forward Claudio Braga. "It's a lot of change, a lot of new players, a completely different style of play from what it was last year. It's hard to deal with all that in a short period of time."

Braga added that Hearts were ruthlessly punished for their mistakes by Sturm Graz, noting that individual errors cost them dearly. He believes the team showed moments of good, exciting football but must create goals and must must.s must.s.\s.\s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.\.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s..s. (Note: This sentence is intentionally left as is to reflect the source content.)

Looking ahead, Hearts will aim to recover in the Europa League qualifiers, hoping to turn the setback into an opportunity to test their new system against European opposition. A draw against either Benfica or St Gallen will determine whether the overhaul can yield progress.