Hearts Arrive in Austria Ahead of Champions League Qualifier
Hearts Arrive in Austria Ahead of Champions League Qualifier Heart of Midlothian traveled to Austria on Monday ahead of their Champions League second qualifying round match against Sturm Graz. The Edinburgh side have not played Champions League football since the 2005/06 season, when they last entered at this stage. They faced Croatian side Široki Brijeg and won 3-0 on aggregate, before progressing to the third qualifying round, where they were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Greek side AEK Athens. Since then, Hearts have made several appearances in European competition. Most recently, in the 2024/25 season, they entered the Europa League play-off round before dropping into the league phase of the Conference League, where they finished 25th in the standings and failed to progress to the knockout play-offs. Sturm Graz, by contrast, are no strangers to Champions League football. They have played in the competition seven times since Hearts’ last appearance, with their most successful campaign coming in 2024/25, when they reached the league phase. The Austrian side arrive at this tie in good form following a strong season in the Austrian Bundesliga. They finished top of the league before the split — similar to the SPFL — into a Championship Group, where they finished second, just two points behind winners LASK. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the match, Wouter Vrancken said: “We are as ready as possible. I think everybody worked hard to come here, to be here, and now we need to give it our best. “I think it is very important that you show guts from the start and don’t think about the other qualifiers or next rounds.”
Motherwell Announce Dylan Williams as Fifth Summer Signing
Motherwell Announce Dylan Williams as Fifth Summer Signing Motherwell have announced their fifth signing of the summer transfer window, securing the services of former Burton Albion defender Dylan Williams on a two-year deal. The 22-year-old joins for an undisclosed fee, with the club holding the option of a further year. Manager Alfred Johansson is excited to bring an “attack-minded” defender to the club. “A humble young man, Dylan has been in first-team environments since he broke into the Derby County team at a young age. He is an incredibly mature man, and we’ve had some excellent discussions about what we want Dylan to do in our system. “He is an attack-minded and exciting defender, but most importantly, he works incredibly hard for his teammates. It’s great to get Dylan into the club as we look ahead to the competitive football starting very soon.” After spending time with the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy, Williams moved to Derby County, where he appeared in Premier League 2, Championship, and FA Cup matches from the age of 17. After catching the eye of Premiership suitors, Chelsea secured Williams’ services at the beginning of 2022, working under current Sweden and England managers Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel. Continuing his development in Chelsea’s under-23 setup, he eventually moved to former suitors Burton Albion, going on to make 64 appearances for the club. Speaking to Motherwell’s website, Williams said he is raring to go for the Steelmen. “I’ve spoken to a number of people about Motherwell,” Williams said. “Everyone has had positive things to say about the club. The initial discussions with the manager were encouraging, and he’s been so clear on what he wants me to do. Key messaging and a clear desire to bring me to the club meant it was an easy decision to come here. “I’m looking forward to the season ahead.” Williams will be available for Thursday’s Conference League clash with Havnar Bóltfelag. Motherwell’s Summer Signings Jake Girdwood-Reich (St Louis City, undisclosed) Martin Moormann (Blau-Weiß Linz, undisclosed) Willy Vogt (Bellinzona, undisclosed) Alex Paulsen (Bournemouth, loan) Dylan Williams (Burton Albion, undisclosed)