Motherwell Archives - SNN Sports

Fadinger Believes “Everything is Possible” Ahead of Freiburg Showdown

Lukas Fadinger is relishing Thursday’s European showdown against last year’s Europa League finalists, Freiburg, and wants Motherwell to “stick to our principles” despite the massive challenge ahead. Having already overcome HB Torshavn and HJK Helsinki to reach the UEFA Conference League playoffs, Motherwell are hoping for another electric atmosphere under the lights at Fir Park. “You see it in one game. If you’re fighting, if you give everything in the duels, there’s always a chance to win those games,” Fadinger said. “We know if we have a good day, we can compete against a lot of teams in Europe, and that gives us a push. Even though it’s a very tough opponent on Thursday, we think we have a chance if we stick to our principles.” The Austrian midfielder is thoroughly enjoying his first taste of European football and believes that, when at their best, the Steelmen are a match for any side, emphasising: “In football, everything is possible.” Although Motherwell suffered a shock defeat to Stenhousemuir in the second round of the League Cup, Fadinger is backing his side to respond and build upon their otherwise strong start to the campaign. “They fully deserved to win,” Fadinger said. “We need to take it. It’s a hard blow, but we go again on Thursday. Of course, it’s a big loss, but we keep looking forward. I think we have still had a good start so far, and we just keep on going.”

August 18, 2026

Johansson asks for “fearless” Motherwell as European Glamour Tie Looms

Motherwell boss Alfred Johansson has urged his side to “excite” the Fir Park faithful as they prepare for their crucial second-leg clash against HJK Helsinki. Victory would secure a mouthwatering UEFA Conference League play-off tie with Bundesliga side Freiburg, who reached the Europa League final last season. With the tie finely poised at 1-1, Johansson is expecting another stern test from the Finnish outfit. Motherwell and HJK head into Thursday’s Conference League third qualifying round second leg level after last week’s 1-1 draw in Finland. Tawanda Maswanhise handed the Steelmen a priceless lead from the penalty spot before veteran striker Teemu Pukki produced a superb equaliser for the hosts. Reflecting on the first-leg performance, Johansson was pleased with his side’s response after the break. “In the second half we were more fearless and more aggressive,” he said. “Sometimes you have to manage the momentum of the game, and that’s what we did. Now we must be strong. “But we are at Fir Park, with all of our people there, and we want to excite them and play our way. We think that’s the best way to get the result we need. “It’s different and special when you play European games. They’re played later at night, and there’s just another feeling around the place.” Ahead of the tie, Motherwell confirmed the signing of Republic of Ireland midfielder Joe Hodge from Portuguese side Tondela for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old made his senior international debut for Ireland in June 2026, and Johansson expressed his delight after securing the midfielder’s signature, although Hodge will not be available in time to face Helsinki. “Absolutely buzzing to have him here,” Johansson added. “Joe is a very exciting young midfielder. He is mainly a number six in our system, but he can also play in a box-to-box role. We primarily see him operating as a six. “Joe represents what the number six position has evolved into over the last five years. He has quality on the ball, but he also has the mobility required for the modern game. We believe it’s a perfect match. “It’s super important to strengthen this area after losing some players. We are a club that needs to identify potential where it may have been overlooked.” Motherwell v HJK Helsinki (1-1) 7:30pm 13th Aug – Fir Park

August 13, 2026

Johansson prepares for “Nemesis” Falkirk

Alfred Johansson is relishing Sunday’s clash with “last year’s nemesis” as his Motherwell side prepare to host Falkirk at Fir Park. The Bairns proved to be an Achilles heel for the Steelmen last season, recording three victories and a draw to remain unbeaten in head-to-head fixtures. “I don’t think anyone cannot be so excited by the opportunity to play them on Saturday. “The staff have a lot of knowledge about them, I know they’re a good team from what I’ve seen already – including from some of the games last year I watched prior to signing the contract here. “They’re a good team with a lot of energy, a lot of stability within the club and the manager’s position. “They’re improving all the time, exceeding expectations and it’s going to be a difficult game but we’re looking forward to it with confidence. “They’ve lost a few players, but we have too so it’s going to be a tight game – that’s what the Premiership is, isn’t it?” However, buoyed by a positive 1-1 draw against Helsinki, Johansson is eager to welcome John McGlynn’s side for their first home Premiership match of the campaign. Motherwell head into the fixture following a demanding seven-day spell that featured successful trips to the Faroe Islands, Finland, and Easter Road. Ahead of Sunday’s match, attacking pair Regan Charles-Cook and Alex Lowry will both face late fitness tests after picking up injuries against HJK Helsinki. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Said is back in contention after resolving the visa issues that kept him out of the European trip. However, Dylan Williams, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (calf), Jordan McGhee (hamstring), Paul McGinn, Callum Hendry, and Stephen O’Donnell (all knee) remain sidelined.

August 8, 2026

Hearts, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian in Europe: European Preview

As four Scottish clubs are on the European stage this evening, let’s take a look at each of the four ties. Benfica v Hearts After Hearts’ 6-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Sturm Graz, the Edinburgh side have been handed possibly the trickiest tie of the round with a trip to Portugal to face European giants Benfica. The Portuguese side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at St Gallen before coming back to win 5-0 to get through, in order to face Hearts, who, as we know, dropped out of the Champions League. Hearts will most likely be in for a long night if they don’t improve defensively and will have to ensure they don’t concede early doors. Benfica are yet to start their league season, but for Hearts, they started it on the wrong foot, losing 2-1 at Pittodrie against Aberdeen in a game which saw them ahead going into the dying moments. If Hearts do see off Benfica, they will play the winner of Aarhus or Sabah, but defeat will see the Tynecastle outfit face either Rapid Wien or Paide Linnameeskond. Jagiellonia v Rangers The Gers make the trip to Poland as they kick off their European campaign. This is both sides’ first European tie this campaign, as Rangers and Derek McInnes eye up a Europa League spot this season. The Polish side were defeated 5-4 by Italian side Fiorentina in last season’s Conference League, whereas for Rangers, they failed to progress past the league phase of the Europa League. On paper, you’d fancy Rangers tonight, but the game this evening will be far from a breeze. Jagiellonia have already played two games this campaign in the Polish league, winning two from two against both Korona and Motor Lublin, with Rangers, of course, drawing 1-1 at Tannadice last week. If Rangers are to progress, they will face the winner of Larne or Iberia Tbilisi, but should the Gers suffer defeat, they will meet either FC RFS or FK Jablonec. HJK Helsinki v Motherwell The Steelmen are in Europe with a trip to Finland in store. HJK are rather well known on the big stage despite being knocked out of last season’s European campaign with a rather surprising defeat to Bulgarian side Arda Kardzhali on penalties. This is Motherwell’s first season in Europe since 2022, which saw the Steelmen stunned by Sligo Rovers after a 3-0 aggregate defeat. HJK Helsinki came up against fellow Scottish side Aberdeen in 2023, with both meetings ending in draws, in a group that also included PAOK and Frankfurt. The hosts eased past Northern Irish side Coleraine 8-0 on aggregate in the last round, with Motherwell getting past Faroese side HB Tórshavn 5-0 on aggregate, setting up a tasty meeting in Finland. Helsinki have already played 18 games in their league season, as the Finnish side sit fourth with 8 wins, 4 draws, and 6 defeats. For Motherwell, they defeated Hibernian 2-1 in the capital on opening day on Sunday as the Steelmen continue to impress. Should Motherwell progress, they will meet last season’s Europa League finalists, Freiburg. Hibernian v KF Shkëndija The Hibees are back after starting their European campaign in horror with a shock 2-0 defeat away to Malisheva, but made up for it in the second leg with a 4-1 victory at Easter Road. North Macedonian side KF Shkëndija are in town, having defeated Europa FC 6-0 over the course of two legs, as well as defeating NK Bravo in the latest round, to earn them the tie in Leith. The visitors have also met fellow Scottish side Aberdeen before, back in 2015, where the Dons were held to a goalless draw in the Granite City, but Aberdeen drew 1-1 away from home as they progressed via the away goals rule, which, of course, no longer exists. Hibs started their season off on the wrong foot, with a 2-1 defeat against Motherwell, but for the visitors, they began their league season with three points, defeating FK Skopje 3-0 on the opening day. Should David Gray’s men progress, they will meet the winner of IFK Göteborg or KAA Gent in the Play-Off Round.

August 6, 2026

Two European contenders go head-to-head on opening day: Hibernian v Motherwell match preview

Hibernian host Motherwell in the penultimate match of the Premiership’s opening weekend. Both sides come into the match on the back of European wins on Thursday. Hibs overturned their 2-0 loss to KF Malisheva of Kosovo with a 4-1 dismantlement at Easter Road. Motherwell made good on their 2-0 home win against Havnar Boltfelag by winning 3-0 in The Faroe Islands. Motherwell will enter the campaign full of hope after last season’s revelation under Jens Berthel Askou, but it’s also a new era in Lanarkshire after Askou departed for Toulouse, being replaced by Swedish manager Alfred Johansson. They’re also without many stars from last season such as Elijah Just, Stephen Welsh, Eliot Watt & Callum Slattery. As for Hibernian, last season was a rather underwhelming one as David Gray’s side finished 5th. The 2-0 loss in Pristina raised many fan’s eyebrows around his future. It’s unsure whether Thursday’s redemption was a routine home win for Hibernian, or paper over the cracks. Coming into the match, David Gray said: “We’re certainly going into the game in a real positive frame of mind. “It’s a big effort required again against Motherwell, but I’ll go back to what I said going into the first leg (against KF Malisheva), which was I’m really happy with how pre-season went, really happy with the physicality of the players. “We picked up a few knocks and niggles, which is a bit frustrating, but they’re getting closer now as well, so it is again much more positive. “But you can’t rest on that, and we need to keep moving forward, and we’ve got an opportunity at home against a team that’s progressed in Europe as well. “You want your Scottish clubs to do well, so I was delighted for them (Motherwell). I think that is important. They’ve started well again. “They’ve got a new manager, and they’ll be a different test slightly, but at the same time I think they’re playing quite a similar way, and we know it will be a difficult test. “We want to try and do it right. It’s a team that we never beat last season but we’ve got an opportunity in the first game of the season to try and do that.” The loss in Kosovo made many question Hibs’ consistency, when Gray was asked about this, he said: “I think it’s all about consistency for us. I think we’ve demonstrated that in spells last season. “I know we went right to the very last game, and if we had won the last game of the season, we would have finished fourth. “At times we were probably a wee bit frustrated at times last season because I do believe when we put the complete performance in, we’re a very good side, and we showed that with the European stuff. “We showed that when we won at Celtic Park, we also won at Ibrox. “We’ve added well to the squad this season, but so have every team. I fully expect a real tough season, a real competitive season again. “This is my third season, so I’ve spoken a lot about that freshness and trying to get new ideas into the players because I don’t want them to become comfortable. I’m certainly not comfortable. “We need to keep pushing forward, but certainly be real and consistent in the last two seasons, where we’ve achieved back-to-back European qualifications. “The question is can we go and do that for the third season? It may be harder this year with the fact that you might have to finish fourth or win a trophy, so that’s the challenge for the players and the challenge for myself.” Ahead of his first-ever Scottish Premiership match, Johansson was asked if Motherwell fans can expect more of the same from last season, he said: “I think so, we’ll have to see. One of my targets, or our main targets is to consolidate the style of play from last year in a moment of change, when there’s changes in the squad. “Obviously I am not the same person and the same manager as the previous one, so with a new manager and new players, there will be slight differences in the expression of the team, but the target is to consolidate the style of play.” Much of his press conference revolved around their Conference League matchup with HJK Helsinki, but Johansson maintained that his side are fully focussed on today’s clash in Leith. He said: “I always have a really narrow focus, a really short-term focus in terms of performance, so it’s the game against Hibs on Sunday which is the biggest target of the season for now.” The two sides met four times last season, Motherwell won twice and earned a draw on the remaining two occasions. The sides last met during last season’s dramatic final day as Lukas Fadinger earned 10-man Motherwell a 1-0 win. That result should fill Motherwell with confidence as it was the first time a non-Old Firm team won at Easter Road since November 2024.

August 2, 2026

“Go home and eat some barbed wire” – Johansson Warns Steelmen of Second Leg Test

Alfred Johansson has warned Motherwell against underestimating HB Torshavn, insisting his side must “respect” their opponents despite taking a two-goal advantage into Thursday’s second leg. The Steelmen earned a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Faroese outfit at Fir Park last week, but Johansson is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits his players in the Faroe Islands. HB boast an impressive record on home soil in European competition, and the Motherwell boss believes his side must be fully prepared for a demanding evening. “You have to respect the team we’re going to play, and you have to respect the place where we’re going to play,” Johansson said. “In the last 10 years, I believe they’ve only lost twice at home in European qualifying. “In the last five years, they’ve not lost a single home game in European qualification, and that includes teams like Brøndby, which is a big club in Denmark. It includes Maccabi Haifa and HJK Helsinki. These are very, very big clubs.” Scottish clubs have developed an unwanted reputation for difficult nights in European qualifiers, suffering shock defeats to sides from countries such as Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, and Malta. Johansson believes Motherwell must approach the match with the same intensity shown in the first leg. “To think you’re just going to go there and grab a victory easily is fooling yourself. “I told the guys today to go home and eat some barbed wire and prepare for the battle, because it’s going to be a battle. You’re going to have to be strong and brave to play our way. “The intensity has to be there. Otherwise, there’s no point travelling.” Two stunning goals from debutant Martin Moormann and midfield anchor Lukas Fadinger put Motherwell in a commanding position and a step closer to securing automatic qualification for the UEFA Conference League. Johansson could also be handed a major boost with the return of Tawanda Maswanhise. The forward, who finished as Motherwell’s top scorer last season with 17 goals in the Scottish Premiership, is nearing a comeback after injury. While Johansson confirmed Maswanhise is unlikely to start, he believes having the Zimbabwe international available again will provide a significant lift for the squad. “Hopefully, it’s looking quite good for JT at this point,” Johansson said. “He won’t start the game and he’ll wear protection, but it’s massive to have him back. What a player. “Did you see him last season? What a player he is. It’s a massive boost for everyone.” HB Torshavn v Motherwell Aggr. 0-2: Leg 2 of 2 European Conference League Qualifying Round Two

July 29, 2026

Motherwell Add Former Rangers Youngster Lowry as Summer Build Continues

Motherwell have announced the loan signing of Alex Lowry from Wycombe Wanderers for the 2026/27 campaign. The 23-year-old becomes the Fir Park side’s sixth addition of the summer transfer window as manager Alfred Johansson’s squad continues to take shape. “We see this as a great opportunity for Alex and the club,” Alfred Johansson said. “He is a technically gifted footballer who enjoys being on the ball and creating chances. His prior knowledge of Scottish football and experience here could prove vital over the next 12 months. We are pleased to add to the squad, and Alex can now start training with his new teammates immediately. “The backroom staff have been meticulous in scouting Alex, and I have no doubt he will slot into our team well. I look forward to working with him and helping him develop over the coming year.” A product of the Rangers Academy, Lowry progressed through the youth ranks to represent Rangers B before making 14 appearances for the senior team. He scored his first senior goal against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup. He featured for the Ibrox side in the Scottish Premiership, made a substitute appearance in the Champions League against Ajax, and was named on the bench for the Europa League Final. Following a loan spell with Hearts, Lowry moved to England to join League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers. After making 34 appearances for The Blues, his final outing for the club came on Boxing Day 2025. Speaking to the Motherwell website, Lowry expressed his delight at heading “back up the road.” “As a Scottish football fan, everyone knows Motherwell were an outstanding team last year,” Lowry said. “Having spoken to the manager, it is already clear he has a distinct vision for how he wants the team to play, and that identity is evident even in these early stages. “I feel I can add to the strong squad already assembled here, and I’m looking forward to kicking on this season.” Lowry will be unavailable for Motherwell’s upcoming second-leg qualifier against Havnar Bóltfelag, following the team’s 2-0 victory in the first leg on Thursday.

July 25, 2026

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)

July 21, 2026

A COMPLETE preview of the 2026/27 William Hill Premiership

Millions of eyes from all around the world were fixed on the Scottish Premiership last season as Hearts bid to end the Glasgow-centric dominance that has reigned over Scotland since the 80s. Celtic got the title over the line at the last minute, which many will find disappointing, but the global attention on Scottish football can only be a good thing. Hearts’ weren’t the only underdog story of last season with Motherwell and Falkirk providing excellent stories in their own right. Whilst the 2026/27 season certainly has a hard act to follow in terms of entertainment factor, here’s everything you need to know about the league heading into the next season. Aberdeen: It’s a first full season in charge for Stephen Robinson who replaced Jimmy Thelin in March. It’s always hard to predict how Aberdeen will fair as life post Derrick McInnes can best be described as a rollercoaster. Aberdeen have flirted with relegation the past few years before proving to be too big to go down. But of course, there is the third place season of 2022/23 and the Scottish Cup win in 2025 to counter. It’s been a busy summer in the North East with 10 signings thus far. Stephen Robinson has re-united with Connor Ronan from their time at St. Mirren. They’ll hope the force is with them after signing Obi Wan Kenobi’s great-grandson in Nesta Guinness-Walker, Tony Yogane’s positive loan at Dundee has rewarded him with a move to Aberdeen. They’ve also added household Premiership names in Lewis Mayo and Brad Lyons to name a few. Incomings: Connor Ronan, Alexander Briedl, Lewis Mayo, Brad Lyons, Toyosi Olusanya, Nesta Guinness-Walker, Dan Happe, Ayoub Mouloua, Marius Müller, Tony Yogane. Outgoings: Topi Keskinen, Alexander Jensen, Graeme Shinnie, Ryan Duncan, Marko Lazetic, Tom Mcintrye, Per Kristian Bratviet, Elvis Bwomono, Vicente Besuijen, Alfie Stewart (loan), Alfie Bavidge (loan). What to expect: Mid-table finish. Celtic: Celtic are now five-in-a-row champions, but it somehow feels like a dark cloud is hanging over the club. Despite the drama from the end of last season, it’s fair to say that last season’s Celtic side are probably the worst title winners in recent memory. Although, that speaks to just high the bar is for Celtic. Martin O’Neill will lead Celtic out for another season after signing a further one-year deal, somewhat delaying another managerial appointment. Despite criticisms surrounding their performances or style of play, O’Neill’s Celtic have shown that they can really turn it up when it matters, You can look ash their second half dismantlement of St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final, or snatching the title from Hearts with just minutes remaining, or their comeback against Rangers in the split and much, much more. Unfortunately for Celtic, the fall-out between the fans and the board continues after a lack of signings, with Celtic fans standing firmly behind the ‘not another penny’ campaign until they see change. Failures to secure new deals for Marcelo Sarrachi and Kelechi Iheanacho only add fuel to the fire too. It truly feels like a lot of discontent hangs over the club at the minute. Incomings: Camilo Duran Outgoings: Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Kelechi Iheanacho, Stephen Welsh, Hayato Inamura, Josh Clarke, Shin Yamada (loan), Kasper Schmeichel (retired) What to expect: Title contenders Dundee: When Stephen Pressely was appointed as Dundee boss last season, many eyebrows were raised from Dundee fans and neutrals alike, many even tipped them to go down, but Pressely kept them up at a canter. They’ll be without last season’s star man in Luke Graham after the defender departed for Stoke in a club record deal. Losses of Trevor Carson and Jon McCracken in the goalkeeping department may force the club to look for a replacement between the posts. Incomings: Idris Odutayo, Zan Besir, Alan Forrest, Ryan Finnigan, Owen Bevan Outgoings: Luke Graham, Jon McCracken, Ethan Ingram, Clark Robertson, Paul Digby, Billy Koumetio, Emile Acquah, Lewis Montsma, Trevor Carson (retired) What to expect: Bottom-half/ relegation candidates Dundee United: Much like his former club Aberdeen, Jim Goodwin’s recent career is another rollercoaster. When he took the Tannadice helm in 2023 the club was as good as relegated. Goodwin led them back to the Premiership at the first time of asking, before securing European football upon their Premiership return, even going toe-to-toe with Rapid Vienna in the conference league. They seemed to revert to the mode with a bottom six finish last year. It’s been a busy window on the other side of Dens Road so far. Jack Walton has returned to the club, there’s also been promising signings from Australia whilst Dylan Tait is an impressive signing from their competitors in Falkirk. Incomings: Jesse Randall, Lachlan Rose, Joshua Rawlins, Dylan Tait, Michael Forbes, Jordan Amissah, Jack Walton, Medhi Merghem, Idjessi Metsoko (loan) Outgoings: Craig Sibbald, Ryan Strain, Ashely Maynard-Brewer, Johnny Russell, Kristijan Trapanovski, Dave Richards, Lewis O’Connell, Owen Stiron (loan), Ruairidh Adams (loan) What to expect: Mid-table finish Falkirk: Falkirk returned to the Premiership after 16 years last season, marking a double-promotion with a top-six finish. A side who built on solid home performances last season and nearly secured European football in the process. Falkirk are on the up at the moment and they can build on this success. Or, whatever goes up can come straight back down. They’ve lost star men from last season in Barney Stewart and Calvin Miller, Filip Lissah hasn’t returned to the club following an impressive loan spell. It could well get worse with John McGlynn being one of the leading contenders to replace Steve Clarke as Scotland boss. Incomings: Lewis Nielson, Jack McMillan, Deniss Melniks, Craig Sibbald, Scott Tanser, Jay Hogarth, Ethan Laidlaw, Paul McGovern Outgoings: Barney Stewart, Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait, Jamie Sneddon, Gary Oliver, Brian Graham, Rhys Walker, Sean Mackie What to expect: Bottom-half finish Heart Of Midlothian: Hearts were mere minutes away from becoming the first non Old-Firm cub to win the league in over 40-years. Derrick McInnes has since departed for Rangers and its a completely new look Hearts side for the Wouter Vrancken era. Numerous new signings

July 20, 2026

Who will your Scottish team face next in Europe?

Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian, and Motherwell will discover their next European opponents this Monday, as the draw takes place for the third qualifying rounds of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. Hearts face Sturm Graz in the 2nd Round of Champions League Qualifying. Victory over the Austrians could leave matchups against Olympiacos (GRE), Lyon (FRA), Bodo/Glimt (NOR) or Fenerbahce (TUR)/Gornik Zabrze (POL). A defeat will see them drop into the Europa League bracket, to face either St Gallen (SWI)/Benfica (POR), Twente (NED)/Ferencvaros (HUN) or Qarabag (AZE)/CSKA Sofia (BUL). Derek McInnes will lead his Rangers side into the 3rd Round of Europa League Qualification as a seeded team. They will meet either Hammarby (SWE)/Anderlecht (BEL), Hajduk Split (CRO)/Pafos (CYP), Tromso (NOR)/Hradec Kralove (CZE) or Jagellonia Bialystok (POL). Motherwell and Hibs begin Conference League qualifying this Thursday. Motherwell face Havnar Boltfelag of the Faroe Islands; victory will see them progress to face LNZ Cherkasy (UKR)/Gent (BEL), Besiktas (TUR)/FC Midtjylland (DEN), HJK Helsinki (FIN)/Coleraine (NIR), Twente (NED)/Ferencvaros (HUN) or RFS (Lat)/Vestri (ISL). David Gray’s team are back in Europe again, backing up their 3rd place finish with 4th place last season. FK Malisheva await in the 2nd Round; a victory over the Kosovo side could see matchups with NK Bravo (SVN)/KF Shkendija (MKD), FC Santa Coloma (AND)/SK Rapid (AUT), Rakow (POL)/Valetta (MLT), NK Rijeka (CRO)/Derry City (IRL) or FC Polissya (UKR)/FC Copenhagen (DEN). The draw commences on Monday 20th July.

July 20, 2026