Dave Mackay believes St Johnstone are better prepared for continental competition now than they were for their last two Euro campaigns.
They were paired with Swiss team FC Luzern when the Europa League second qualifying round draw was made on Monday.
The first leg will be played at the Swissporarena in Lucerne on Thursday July 17, with the return game at McDiarmid Park seven days later.
The Scottish Cup holders won’t be daunted by the prospect of a trip to the Alpine nation. Indeed, Saints captain Mackay feels they are well equipped for the challenge given their recent European adventures.
In 2012 they got a tough draw against Turkish side Eskishirspor and fell at the first hurdle.
However, with manager Tommy Wright taking the side last summer, they secured a brilliant win in Norway over Rosenborg a contest they finished off at home.
They then faced a daunting and logistically difficult trip to Belarus only to come home with a fantastic away victory over FC Minsk.
The journey ended in disappointment in the home leg, though, when the Belarussians sneaked through on penalties.
All that has left Saints battle-hardened and street-wise, according to Mackay.
He said: “When we played Eskisehirspor two years ago it was all new to us but we learned from that experience and enjoyed it despite going out.
“Last year there was improvement from us and we got great results in both Norway and Belarus and were unlucky not to go further in the competition.
“I just feel that this time we are in better shape than ever, both physically and mentally.
“We have had the brilliant boost of winning the Scottish Cup and we now really know what to expect from European football. We have a fair bit of experience now and the draw could have been worse.
“This is the third season in a row in Europe for us now and I think we will be even better equipped this time around.”
While Luzern will have taken note of Saints’ two away wins last season, likewise the Perth men know they will face technically-adept opponents.
And, unlike Scotland, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that Switzerland qualified for a certain tournament that is currently captivating us all.
“Their national team is at the World Cup in Brazil so that tells you a lot,” said Mackay.
“Also, their league winners Basel always seem to be pretty decent in the Champions League.
“So Swiss football deserves respect and we will certainly give Luzern plenty of respect.”
Tweets and texts will have been flying between the St Johnstone players after the draw but the serious business starts for them later this week.
“We return for pre-season training on Thursday and the lads will be keen to discuss the draw when we meet up,” added Mackay.
“It gives us all a great incentive to be as fit as possible as quickly as possible, with only three weeks between our return to work and the first leg in Switzerland.”