Wouter Vrancken's tenure as Hearts head coach got off to the worst possible start as his side were dismantled 4-0 by Sturm Graz, leaving their UEFA Champions League ambitions hanging by a thread.

The heavy defeat handed Vrancken an immediate reality check in his first match in charge, with Hearts offering little resistance against a Sturm Graz side who were clinical and commanding throughout.

The result all but extinguishes Hearts' hopes of progressing in the UEFA Champions League, leaving Vrancken with an enormous task ahead as he looks to steady the ship at Tynecastle.