Hibs' Goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger Prepares for European Challenge
Raphael Sallinger sat among the away contingent at Tynecastle on Tuesday night and watched Hearts crumble on the European stage. A 2-0 defeat to Sturm Graz, a 6-0 aggregate thrashing, and a brutal entry in the record books as their worst-ever two-legged result in Europe.
Now the Hibs goalkeeper is determined that his own club won’t be the next Scottish side to be humbled.
From Tynecastle spectator to Easter Road last line
Sallinger had a personal reason to be there. This wasn’t just a rival keeper revelling in Hearts’ misery.
“My missus actually works for Sturm Graz as a nutritionist so it was obviously clear for me to go and watch her at Tynecastle,” the Austrian explained. “She's not over in Scotland very often. She'll be at our game tomorrow as well to support me.”
So he watched as Sturm, the club he knows so well, dismantled Hearts with a clinical edge that underlined the gulf over the two legs. No gloating, no crowing – just a professional taking notes.
“Sturm are a very good team,” he said. “Of course there were a few conversations when we knew they were playing Hearts, but only about small details, nothing special. I'm happy for them that they went through.”
Happy for them, yes. But the lesson was clear. If Hearts can be torn apart like that, anyone can. Including Hibs.
A 2-0 hole and no room for excuses
On Thursday night at Easter Road, Hibs must overturn their own 2-0 deficit against Kosovan side Malisheva in the second leg of their Conference League qualifier. On paper, these are the ties Scottish clubs are expected to navigate without drama. The first leg in Kosovo told a different story.
Sallinger doesn’t hide from it.
“We as a group spoke about a lot of things which went wrong in that game. There are clearly things we can improve on, but we've worked very well this week,” he said.
The disappointment still lingers, the kind that sits in a dressing room long after the final whistle. But Hibs know the equation. Win big, or Europe is over before it has even begun.
“These are the moments where you can see what character is in this team and we will show that character tomorrow,” Sallinger insisted.
Character test under the lights
The goalkeeper is blunt about the stakes. It’s not about the name of the opponent, not about reputations or budgets. It’s about survival in Europe and the standards Hibs set for themselves.
“It doesn't matter which side we're playing against. The main target is getting through to the third round of the Conference League,” he said. “We have to make sure we win tomorrow. We don't want to look back too much on the last game. All we can do is look forward and try to change things around.”
He saw one Edinburgh club outclassed and out of Europe. Now, with his partner watching from the stands this time at Easter Road, Sallinger steps from observer to protagonist.
Hearts’ collapse is already written into the record books. Hibs now decide whether their own European chapter ends in the same week, or whether Thursday night becomes the night they drag their campaign – and their reputation – back on track.
