Heart Of Midlothian are back in Champions League qualifying for the first time in 20 years, and their second-round tie against Sturm Graz now has a clearer shape. The Austrian club have confirmed they can host the match at the 16,364-capacity Liebenau Stadium, despite renovation work still being carried out.
Liebenau is still the venue
Thomas Tebbich said Sturm were "delighted to be able to host the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers in Liebenau." He added that the club's fans can generate "incredible energy" in the stadium, "especially on European nights."
The practical detail matters. The work at Liebenau involves the floodlights and electrical cables, and is expected to be completed by July 21st/22nd. A previously considered alternative was Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, 83 miles south of Graz, but Sturm have now said the tie can stay in Graz.
What Hearts are carrying into Europe
Hearts did not just scrape into this. They finished 2nd in the Scottish Premiership with 80 points across 38 league matches, which is why they have reached this stage. Their recent league form, LWDWW, also points to a side arriving with some momentum, including wins over Rangers and Hibernian.
Sturm are not a soft draw either. They finished 26th in the Europa League league phase and collected 7 points, so this is a club that has already been tested in Europe. They also beat Rangers 2-1 at home in the Europa League, which gives a fair sense of what Liebenau can be like on a big night.
The first leg is scheduled for 21/22 July, with the reverse fixture the following midweek. For Hearts, the bigger picture is simple enough: the club are back in the competition they have waited 20 years to re-enter, and the immediate obstacle is a European opponent that has already cleared up the stadium question.
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