David Gray stuns fans as Hibs boss declares team ‘belongs’ in Europe and urges stars to make comeback

Hibernian’s dream of making it to the group stage of European competition was shattered in dramatic fashion in Warsaw, as Legia Warsaw scored twice deep into injury and extra time. The Edinburgh side, having clawed back from a daunting 3-1 aggregate deficit, were poised to make history before heartbreak struck in the dying moments.

David Gray’s men looked set for a famous night after Rocky Bushiri, Martin Boyle, and recent signing Miguel Chaiwa turned the tie around, placing Hibs on the verge of their first appearance in the Conference League group stage. Vahan Bichakhchyan had earlier given Legia the lead, but Hibs’ spirited response left them leading 4-3 on aggregate as the game entered stoppage time.

However, hopes of a historic achievement were cruelly dashed when Juergen Elitim equalized in injury time, and Mileta Rajovic delivered the decisive blow in the 98th minute. With that, Hibs’ European journey ended abruptly, leaving players and supporters devastated after coming so close to a landmark accomplishment.

After the match, a visibly emotional David Gray reflected on the team’s journey and their performance against high-caliber opposition. “We need to look at how close we’ve come, the level we’ve performed against top teams. The level of the teams we’re playing. We’ve been outstanding in Europe. We’ve shown that we belong. We need to take that into domestic football. We’re hungry to do it again. The only way to do it is by being successful in Europe. Not many Hibs teams have done it in back to back seasons.”

Gray emphasized the magnitude of the occasion and the effort required to compete at that level, stating, “For a neutral, another fantastic night. There’s not much I can say to the players to make them feel any better. The level of performance was incredible. I’m not going to make excuses, say it’s a tough draw. You can’t moan about things you can’t affect.”

Reflecting on the fine margins separating triumph from disappointment, Gray noted, “I’ve reminded them of how far we’ve come from bottom of the league after 14 games, to three minutes from reaching group stages. It shows the fine margins and quality required at this level. We need to be more clinical. The character has been tested by adversity and setbacks throughout this European campaign. We continue to push and believe. They deserve all the credit.”

Captain Martin Boyle, who played a crucial role before being substituted, shared his own disappointment at the outcome. “It obviously hurts, being that close to progressing and making history. It wasn’t to be. Important moments in games where we have to defend the box we never did it well enough and we’ve been punished. Individual quality, the guy’s took a touch in the box and fired it home. We have to be better in those situations. At the end of the day it’s cost us.”

Despite their heartbreak, Boyle found pride in the team’s efforts. “But we can be really proud of what we’ve achieved. We came here. First half was a little bit yuk. We were in the tie but conceded the first goal. Then the second half I thought we were absolutely brilliant. We had nothing to lose, came out fighting, got the goals and probably deserved to go through. But we haven’t.”

The defeat marks the third occasion in six ties that Hibs have conceded a decisive goal in injury time. As they turn their focus back to domestic competition, both Gray and Boyle hope that the experience can serve as fuel for further progress and eventual European success in the future.