Hearts enter euro lottery

FRIDAY is Euromillions day, the most appropriate juncture of the week for entering a continental jackpot draw. For the first time in their history, Hearts will be doing just that tomorrow.

The annual Champions League convention at UEFA's Nyon headquarters gets underway at 11am UK time [12pm CET] and assumes the guise of a lottery for the Edinburgh club, with no fewer than 25 different countries of varying footballing repute lying in wait as possible destinations. The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds of Europe's premier competition is, indeed, a journey into the unknown.

But it is one Hearts stand only to benefit from. Their UEFA co-efficient of 20.023 decrees that they will bypass the first qualifying round and move immediately into the second, where they will be seeded alongside such European luminaries as Steaua Bucharest, Dynamo Kiev, Fenerbahce and Spartak Moscow.

They would, barring disaster, be expected to dispense with most potential opponents at that stage - hence the seeding - and progress to the third and final qualifier, where they would then become an unseeded side when the draw is made on July 28. That's when it gets tough against the genuine European masters: Inter Milan, Valencia, Arsenal, Liverpool and Ajax are amongst many similarly robust others who inhabit the seeding berths.

But failure at that point would not necessarily mean the end of the continental gallivanting for Vladimir Romanov's Hearts, for any defeated side in the Champions League's third qualifying round will automatically parachute into the first round proper of the UEFA Cup. Of course, eliminating your opponents in the third qualifier will lead to a cherished place in the Champions League's group stages, and a financial bonus of up to £10million to be made from gate receipts, TV revenue and sponsor money. That's not forgetting UEFA's reward of £220,000 for every group phase victory, or £110,000 for a draw. Complacency is a huge enemy in football, however, so Hearts remain rightly content to focus on the here and now. When the balls are being prised from the bowl in Switzerland tomorrow, there will remain several potentially hazardous opponents for Valdas Ivanauskas, and possibly Alexei Mikhailichenko, to consider. Their opponents in the second qualifying round will, in most cases, have had to negotiate a first-round hurdle before contemplating a confrontation with Paul Hartley, Steven Pressley and the rest.

Hartley may have struck the decisive penalty against Aberdeen that took the Jambos into the Champions League qualifiers, and Pressley has plenty of experience on the European stage, but the trip Hearts are about to embark on is a whole new ball game.

Mlada Boleslav, the former club of Roman Bednar who finished second in the Czech Gambrinus Liga, and Austrian runners-up Salzburg are the sides to avoid if a less potent challenger is desired. They, like Hearts, will avoid the first qualifier, but even the relative unknowns who are likely to make it into the second qualifying round can present difficulties.

Ekranas Panevezys are former adversaries of many who presently frequent Riccarton. Well, they are from Lithuania, and national champions at that after finishing ahead of Vladimir Romanov-financed FBK Kaunas. Ivanauskas effected a dramatic defeat of Ekranas to secure the championship whilst manager of Kaunas in 2004, when the clubs faced each other on the final day of the Lithuanian A Lyga season level on points at the top of the table. Kaunas' 2-0 triumph brought them the title, and Ivanauskas is therefore sure to be steeped in knowledge of Ekranas' strengths.

Metalurgs Liepaja, the Latvian champions, are intriguingly managed by Benjaminas Zelkevicius, the legendary Lithuanian coach who had both Ivanauskas and Edgaras Jankauskas under his tutelage as players at Zalgiris Vilnius in the 1990s. He has previously been linked with managerial vacancies at Hearts, and is well informed on the Gorgie club.

Finland's MyPa-47, another possibility for Hearts, ousted Dundee United, including former Tynecastle favourite Lee Miller from last season's UEFA Cup at the second qualifying stage, whilst the part-time Icelandic side Hafnarfjardar eliminated Dunfermline from the same round of the same competition in 2004.

Others who could be heading to Tynecastle this summer include Nova Gorica of Slovenia, the Slovakians of Ruzomberok, Siroki Brijeg from Bosnia, Cypriots Apollon Limassol, and Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol. All dangerous to Hearts, particularly in their own surroundings.

Amongst those clubs who could generate a surprise and progress from the Champions League's first qualifier by overcoming a seeded opponent are Irish sides Cork City and Linfield, as well as Pyunik Yerevan from Armenia and TVMK Tallinn of Estonia. Meeting Hearts would then be considered a plum pairing for any of the above. But whatever tomorrow's Euromillions draw brings for Hearts, they appear to have a golden ticket. Where it leads them is anyone's guess.
Salzburg the team to avoid as Red Bull gives them wings

ARGUABLY the team that Hearts will be most keen to avoid in tomorrow's Champions League draw are Austrian side Salzburg, now known as Red Bull Salzburg following a take-over by the drinks manufacturer.

Salzburg finished second in the Austrian Bundesliga last season thus qualifying for the Champions League preliminaries but when Red Bull took over they dispensed with the management and coaching staff that had guided them there claiming "this is a new club with no history." A large proportion of the club's supporters opposed the move but when it became clear they were fighting a losing battle many opted to give the new set-up a chance.

The new owners certainly seem intent on bringing back the glory days to the 16,500 capacity Wals Siezenheim Stadium.

Salzburg's former stars include Oliver Bierhoff and Thomas Hassler and just last month German legend Lothar Matthaus, recently linked with the job as Hearts boss, became manager.

With him came Giovanni Trappatoni as sporting director and the former AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich boss will be hoping to help Matthaus mastermind a route into the lucrative group stages of the Champions League.

On the field there is no shortage of quality either with Salzburg's star player being Markus Schopp, a 50-times capped Austrian midfielder. Another familiar name to British football fans will be former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger.

The other club that the money-men at Tynecastle will no doubt be hoping to miss in the draw is FK Mladá Boleslav.

The Czech side, whose youth system helped to produce Hearts striker Roman Bednar, achieved a best-ever second placed finish in the Gambrius Liga pipping Slavia Prague on goal difference last term and finishing behind champions Slovan Liberec. But for a late season collapse, when they lost two of their last three league games, they would have been crowned champions.

The Czechs are particularly strong at home and lost only twice in front of their own supporters. However, should the Jambos be paired with them they are unlikely to face an intimidating atmosphere with FK Mlada Boleslav attracting crowds of between four and eight thousand.

MARK BONTHRONE

Taken from the Scotsman