Wouter Vrancken is the new Hearts coach

 Wouter Vrancken has been appointed as the new Hearts coach, replacing Derek McInnes who joined Rangers. Vrancken signed a two-year contract with the Edinburgh club. The 47-year-old Belgian recently led Sint-Truiden in the Belgian Pro League, with which they finished 3rd in the table last season, which was their best result in 60 years. He was also named Belgium Coach of the Year, but decided to leave the club at the end of the 2025/26 season to pursue other opportunities in Europe. There were reports that Vrancken was targeted by clubs such as Anderlecht, Burnley, Lorient and Ludogorets, but ultimately chose Hearts' offer. “Our goal is to compete with the Glasgow teams and achieve better results than last season,” said Vrancken. "We all want to play for the highest goals, and I want to see Hearts at that level. We have to be the best in the league to fight for those places. We want to have a season again where we compete for the top places in the table." Derek McInnes managed Hearts for only one season, but he almost won the Scottish Premiership. Vrancken will play his first match as a Hearts coach on July 21, it will be the first qualifying round of the Champions League against Sturm Graz.