Hearts to face AEK Athens

HEARTS were today handed a realistic chance of securing a money-laden place in the Champions League group phase when they were paired with AEK Athens in the final qualifying round.

Provided they dispense with Siroki Brijeg, whom they lead 3-0 on aggregate from the first leg of the second qualifier, the Edinburgh club will go into battle with the Greek runners-up for the right to a windfall of up to £10million that accompanies a Champions League group place.

The Greeks can expect to arrive at Murrayfield for the first leg on August 8/9, with the return in Athens on August 22/23. By successfully avoiding celebrated seeds like AC Milan, Valencia, Arsenal and Liverpool in the draw, Valdas Ivanauskas' side have afforded themselves an even chance of clearing the final hurdle before the group stage.

A spokesperson for the club said: "Provided we pass what will undoubtedly be a stern test in Bosnia next week, there is no doubt the tie against AEK Athens will excite our supporters.

"We aren't getting carried away, though, and we are continuing to focus on the game in Siroki Brijeg next Wednesday evening. However, we will naturally be thinking about a provisional schedule for what would be potentially the biggest game in the club's history against AEK."

The Greeks appointed a new manager only last month when the wily Spaniard Lorenzo Serra Ferrer signed a two-year contract to succeed Fernando Costa Santos, who departed for Benfica.

They expect to add one new face to their squad over the coming days as they close in on the former Chelsea reserve midfielder Sam Dalla Bonna. Their Brazilian midfielder Emerson will know Hearts and British football well from spell at Rangers and Middlesbrough.

Hitherto, AEK's only two signings this summer have been 19-year-old Finnish midfielder Perparim Hetemaj and Hungarian midfielder Daniel Tozser, 21. But the principle danger to Hearts will come in the form of popular striker Niko Liberopoulos.

The prospect of a match between Hearts and AEK will invoke memories of Hibs' two-legged encounter with the Greeks in the first round of the UEFA Cup five years ago, when the Easter Road side eventually lost 4-3 on aggregate.

Hearts are sure to encounter a hostile reception in Athens.

Hibs players were stunned when AEK Athens supporters made a mockery of the tribute to the thousands killed by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States just a week after the atrocity in 2001.

The jet carrying Alex McLeish's squad to the Greek Capital the day after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon shuddered to a halt on the runway of Edinburgh Airport after their UEFA Cup match was postponed out of a mark of respect.

The match was rescheduled for the following week but there was no such sentiment from the homes fans in the Nikos Goumas Stadium as they jeered throughout the intended minute's silence called for by UEFA.

While flags around the stadium flew at half-mast and supporters were reminded a minute's silence would be observed before kick-off, the AEK fans jeered loudly and burned the American flags.

A number of Hibs fans had to be treated for cuts and bruises as they were subjected to a hail of missiles as they were caged in one small area of the stadium. AEK's European experiences last season ended in disaster as the Greeks crashed out of the UEFA Cup in the first round against Russian opponents Zenith St Petersburg.

After a 0-0 draw away from home Athens appeared favourites to progress to the group stages of the competition but a surprise 1-0 reverse in front of their own fanatical supporters saw them eliminated. And the season prior they fared little better.

After making it into the group stages of the competition they crashed to defeat in all four of their games against Lille, Alemania Aachen, Sevilla and Zenith St Petersburg who they were again paired with.
Champions League third qualifying round draw

Sheriff Tiraspol/Spartak Moscow v Liberec;

Shakhtar Donetsk v FH Hafnarfjordur/Legia Warsaw;

FC Zurich/SV Red Bull Salzburg v Valencia;

Levski Sofia/Sioni Bolnisi v Chievo;

Hearts/Siroki Brijeg v AEK Athens;

CSKA Moscow v Djurgardens IF/SCP Ruzomberok;

AC Milan v Cork/Crvena Zvezda;

Galatasaray v Mlada Boleslav/Valerenga;

Standard Liege v HIT Gorica/Steaua Bucuresti;

Austria Magna v Benfica;

FK Ekranas/Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal;

FC Copenhagen/MyPa v Ajax;

Hamburg v Osasuna;

FK Metalurgs/Dynamo Kiev v Fenerbahce/B36 Torshavn;

Liverpool v Maccabi Haifa;

Lille v Debrecen/Rabotnicki Kometal

Taken from the Scotsman