Heart of Midlothian have been drawn to face Turkish side Trabzonspor, featuring Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, in the UEFA Conference League. The draw also sets up Celtic for a Europa League reunion with Portuguese giants Benfica.
Heart of Midlothian, currently third in the Scottish Premiership with six points from three games, enter the league phase after defeating Rapid Vienna on penalties in the play-off round. Their campaign begins in October with six fixtures against Monaco, Pafos, Borac, Trabzonspor, Nordsjaelland and Thun. The Tynecastle side have scored seven goals and conceded three this season, sitting three points behind leaders Celtic in the title race.
The Conference League schedule for Heart of Midlothian is now confirmed. Matchdays are set for 15 and 22 October, 5 and 26 November, and 10 and 17 December. The format sees 36 teams play six matches each, three at home and three away. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th enter a play-off round. The knockout stages begin in February, with the final scheduled for 2 June. Fans can track the team's progress on our dedicated fixtures page.
Head coach Wouter Vrancken acknowledged the challenge ahead. "When you have a draw like this, you know you're going to play some really nice games against really good sides," he said. The trip to face Trabzonspor will be a notable highlight, as the Turkish club signed 34-year-old Mohamed Salah this summer. Salah has already scored twice in three games for his new team.
Celtic's path in the Europa League includes a notable clash with Benfica. The Scottish champions last faced the Portuguese side in the 2012 Champions League group stage, drawing at home and losing away. Their other opponents in the expanded 36-team league phase are Marseille, Celta Vigo, Besiktas, Omonia, Union SG and Torreense. Celtic have never previously played Besiktas, Marseille, Omonia, Torreense or Union SG. Their first fixture is next month, with matchdays running from September through to January 2027.
Manager Martin O'Neill described the lineup as "something to look for" and noted there are "some really big game there." Celtic reached this competition after surrendering a four-goal lead against LASK in the Champions League play-offs. In the Europa League, the top eight qualify for the last 16, teams placed ninth to 24th go into a play-off, and those 25th and below are eliminated. The final will be held on 26 May.
Both the Europa League and Conference League have adopted a single-league phase this season. In the Europa League, each of the 36 teams plays eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The Conference League model is slightly more condensed, with each side playing six matches. This change aims to increase the number of competitive fixtures between clubs from different nations. The league standings for the Scottish Premiership, where Heart of Midlothian sit third, can be viewed on our standings page.
For Heart of Midlothian, the European adventure represents a significant opportunity. Vrancken emphasised the commitment, stating, "You play Europe, so we will put everything in it. It's always nice to play there, so we'll see." The squad, which currently shows a positive goal difference of four, will be tested across multiple fronts. Supporters can review the squad details on our squad page ahead of the busy schedule. Heart of Midlothian begin their Conference League campaign away to Borac on 15 October.
