There are quieter ways to begin a European adventure, and Trabzonspor have already found a dramatic one before a ball has been kicked in the UEFA Europa Conference League. The Turkish side, who made headlines across the continent when they signed Mohamed Salah and Fabinho this summer, were beaten 4-0 by Ferencvaros in Budapest on Thursday evening, going out of the Europa League play-off round 5-0 on aggregate. In the immediate aftermath of that result, head coach Fatih Tekke handed in his resignation. By Friday morning, the club had handed it straight back.

Trabzonspor released a statement confirming that they had rejected Tekke's decision to step down, attributing it to the "intense emotional impact" of a painful European exit. It is the kind of phrase that speaks to a dressing room still raw from a bruising night in Hungary — and, to be fair, there is not a manager alive who has not made a call in the heat of that particular moment and reconsidered it by breakfast. The club, it seems, view Tekke's future as firmly with them, regardless of how Thursday went.

Tekke, 48, was appointed as Trabzonspor head coach in March 2025 and guided the club to a third-place finish in the Super Lig last season. That was a reasonable platform, and the ambition shown in the transfer market this summer suggests the club's hierarchy believe there is something worth building here.

Salah, for one, does not appear rattled. In a message posted on X, the former Liverpool forward acknowledged the disappointment of the Ferencvaros defeat but spoke with the kind of settled resolve you might expect from a player who has won the lot. "Nothing in my career ever came easy. Bad nights and disappointments are part of football, and I have learned to turn them into motivation and into trophies," he wrote. "Trabzonspor is my club, and I am part of this project, body and soul. Last night will not change that." Salah, who scored twice on his debut in a 2-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir at the weekend, carries the sort of profile that can shift expectations at a club almost overnight. At 34, his move from Liverpool — where he ended a remarkable 257-goal, 442-appearance spell — raised eyebrows across football. Here, though, he sounds like a man who means business.

Also through the door this summer have been Fabinho, another Premier League winner, and Andre Onana, who has rejoined on loan from Manchester United. The squad Tekke has at his disposal is formidable by Conference League standards, and the drop from the Europa League to Europe's third-tier club competition, while a setback, lands them in waters they should be capable of navigating.

Which brings us to Hearts. The Edinburgh club are among Trabzonspor's six opponents in the Conference League league phase, and the prospect of Tynecastle welcoming a side boasting Salah and Fabinho is the sort of occasion that Scottish football does not get every season. The Gorgie faithful will fancy the atmosphere — that ground can generate quite a noise when the stakes are high enough — but the quality Trabzonspor carry in the final third will demand respect from whoever Heart of Midlothian send out to face them.

For now, the focus in Trabzon is on stability. With the manager retained, the dressing room rallying, and a full Conference League group phase ahead, Trabzonspor will want to put Thursday firmly behind them. Hearts and the other opponents in the section will be watching developments closely — because a Turkish side still smarting from a humbling exit can be a particularly motivated opponent when they next step out under European lights.

What This Means for Hearts

Hearts will face Trabzonspor in the Europa Conference League league phase this season. Given the firepower Trabzonspor have assembled — with Salah having already opened his account for the club — the tie will rank among the most eye-catching fixtures in Scottish football's European calendar this term. Scottish clubs have shown in recent seasons that they can mix it in these group formats, but the opposition here carries genuine quality.

Frequently asked

Who are Hearts playing in the Europa Conference League?
Hearts are set to face Trabzonspor among their opponents in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa Conference League league phase. Trabzonspor dropped into the competition after being knocked out of the Europa League play-off round by Ferencvaros.
Why did Trabzonspor's manager resign?
Fatih Tekke tendered his resignation following a 4-0 defeat by Ferencvaros in Hungary, which eliminated Trabzonspor from the Europa League 5-0 on aggregate. The club rejected his resignation, saying it was driven by the emotional impact of the result.
Has Mohamed Salah scored yet for Trabzonspor?
Yes. Salah scored twice on his debut for Trabzonspor in a 2-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir at the weekend, getting off the mark quickly after his summer move from Liverpool.