Heart of Midlothian mocked Celtic after reaching the Conference League proper with a penalty shoot-out win over Rapid Vienna.
The Tynecastle side came from behind in Austria despite being reduced to 10 men, securing a dramatic victory on spot-kicks.
Winning play-offs in Austria isn’t for everyone... pic.twitter.com/k1J9lTKpn4
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) August 26, 2026
After the final whistle, the Hearts social media team said: “Winning play-offs in Austria isn’t for everyone…”
The post referred to Celtic’s Champions League exit less than 24 hours earlier. Celtic had held a 4-0 aggregate lead over LASK, but were beaten 5-1 in Linz. The result saw them leave the competition at the play-off stage again.
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Hearts trailed 1-0 against Rapid and were denied a late winner when Nenad Cvetkovic equalised in extra time. However, the Edinburgh club kept its composure in the shoot-out to complete a notable night in Vienna. The result secures Hearts’ return to the Conference League’s main phase.
The teams’ contrasting results gave Hearts the chance to aim a pointed message at their Glasgow rivals, while celebrating their European progress.