No fears for Neilson over potential tie with Zurich

HEARTS manager robbie Neilson admits his side fancy their chances of reaching the europa League group stage after being drawn against Linfield or swiss champions FC Zurich. the tynecastle club will travel away for the first leg on august 18 before the second leg in edinburgh seven days later. the scottish Cup runners-up are guaranteed group-stage football with the losers of their play-off dropping into the europa Conference League. ‘It’s a good draw for us,’ said Neilson. ‘One or the other would be great. ‘We want to get in the europa League. It’s a great opportunity for us against one of these teams. ‘We fancy ourselves to go and win that game and if we do, then it would be brilliant for the club.’ Dundee United will face Latvian side riga or Portugal’s Gil Vicente if they reach the europa Conference League play-offs. Jack ross’s United side face AZ alkmaar in the third qualifying round first leg at tannadice tomorrow night. the play-off first leg would also be at tannadice on august 18. Vicente finished fifth in the Portuguese league last season to qualify for european competition for the first time in their history. they have a 12,500 capacity stadium based in Barcelos, which is in the Braga district of northern Portugal. riga have won all four of their european games this season, against Derry City and Slovakian side ruzomberok. Meanwhile, United have brought Luigi Capuano back to tannadice as their new chief executive. Capuano was United’s operations director last year before a brief spell with the scottish Professional Football League. Capuano, who has also worked for the scottish Football association and UEFA, will be responsible for ‘all non-football parts of the club’.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: RANGERS or Union Saint-Gilloise v Monaco or PSV Eindhoven. (1st leg August 16-17, 2nd leg August 23). EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: HEARTS v Linfield or FC Zurich. (1st leg August 18, 2nd leg August 25). EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: DUNDEE UNITED or AZ Alkmaar v Riga or Gil Vicente. (1st leg August 18, 2nd leg August 25).