CHEEKY Steaua Bucharest have dismissed the threat of Motherwell ahead of Thursday's Europa League first-leg clash.

Jim Gannon's side travel to the Romanian capital for the game, but the cocky former European champions have made it clear they don't see the tie as anything other than a formality.

Well need to get past Bucharest in order to go into the Europa League group stages, but their opponents have all but booked their tickets into the new competition!

Steaua president Gigi Becali said: "Motherwell don't stand a chance in front of Steaua. We will go through without trouble.

"I don't know any of their players and they are not a team we should be afraid of."

If any further motivation was needed for Gannon and his side then additional comments from Dmitru Dragomir, president of the Romanian League, will have been sure to have fired them up.

"I've never heard of Motherwell," he said brazenly. "Who are Motherwell?"

Steaua have already irked the Lanarkshire side by claiming that their 8-1 win over Albanian side Flamurtari was a fix, insisting that the scoreline had been clocked up for betting reasons.

Hamilton Accies, meanwhile, are keeping a close watch on 20-year-old former Rennes midfielder David Louhongou.

The player was one of six trialists who Billy Reid is taking a look at during Hamilton's pre-season tour in Ireland.

Accies have lost the services of James McCarthy and Brian Easton, who have both headed for the premiership, while James McArthur is also expected to move on before the start of the season.