DOUBLE TAK

HEARTS player Takis Fyssas once knocked Jose Mourinho off the top in Portugal and now has set his sights on toppling the Old Firm in Scotland.

The Greek star knows all about the romance of the Cup after helping Benfica rekindle their love affair with silverware after eight barren years.

Fyssas, 32, spent two years in Portuguese football before moving to Hearts in the summer and is still a hero to the Benfica fans for helping them lord it over Porto again.

It is a position the Jambos have rarely enjoyed against Rangers and Celtic in their long history but Euro 2004 winner Fyssas reckons they will be top of the pile in Scotland within three years at the latest.

Hearts can take a step closer to their first trophy under the ownership of Vladimir Romanov when they take on Aberdeen in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle this afternoon.

The club have tooled up for the future with the arrival of 11 new players during the January transfer window.

Fyssas insists the club are going all the way to the top, just like his former club, who were reborn two years ago when they lifted the Portuguese Cup at the scene of Celtic's greatest moment in history.

He said: "We defeated Porto 2-1 in the final at the National Stadium in Lisbon and I even scored our equaliser.

"It was Mourinho's last game in Portugal, shortly before their victory in the European Cup Final, and it meant everything to Benfica as it was our first honour in eight years.

"Porto were the b est club for much of that time but the win gave us the power to move forward and the following season we won the title for the first time in 10 years. That win really awakened the club after so many years and it's not until you go to Portugal that you realise Benfica fans are everywhere.

"I enjoyed my life there and the fans loved me but I like life in Edinburgh more than Lisbon. It is my dream to do the same for Hearts as we did for Benfica and if we keep moving in the right direction it is a good possibility.

"I want to give everything to awaken Hearts and every day I feel more and more at home, so much so it feels as if I've been around longer than only six months. Hearts need to become the top team in Scotland and step by step we can do it.

"It will not happen tomorrow and we still need time. After all it isn't easy to take a lot of players in the summer and January and make it a fantastic season.

"Maybe it can happen because we are still in with a chance of winning the league and the Scottish Cup but this will still be a successful season whether we win the championship or not.

"And after two or three years Hearts will definitely be the best team in Scotland."

This charming man Fyssas is a breath of fresh air who livens up press conferences the way he has livened up the left wing at Tynecastle this season with Rudi Skacel.

There is a school of thought to suggest Hearts may have sacrificed short-term goals for long-term success by bringing in so many players in January and potentially upsetting the balance of the dressing room.

But if every player in the first team squad has the attitude of Fyssas SPL leaders Celtic shouldn't be worried for next season and subsequent campaigns but for the here and now.

The former Panathinaikos star added: "It's good for the team we have brought in a lot of new players because if we want to be a big club we need a big squad, especially if we make the Champions League next season.

"Take it from me, you need a strong squad to cope with the demands of the domestic league and the Champions League and in my time at Pana and Benfica we also had first-team squads of up to 35 players.

"The competition is good for the club and no one should be afraid of losing their place. We all play for Hearts and sometimes you play and sometimes you don't. That's football."

Jambos boss Graham Rix has more options than ever but is unlikely to stray too far from the team that beat Hibs 4-1 last week.

He said: "I've got to be careful as the team last Saturday performed very well and if I chopped and changed for the sake of it and we lost I'd be slaughtered.

"It will take a while for the new lads to adjust to their new surroundings, team-mates and coach. We even trained at Tynecastle on Thursday to give them a taste of the stadium.

"We've signed some decent players and the bar has been lifted. If someone is not performing at their best we'll have people chomping at the bit to take their place in the side."

Skipper Steven Pressley is set to return and there will be changes in midfield with Paul Hartley suspended but Fyssas reckons patience from their 12th man is just as important as player personnel. His request is likely to be granted as he has become a firm favourite.

He added: "I'm enjoying it here so much as I like Scottish football, the fans and the city of Edinburgh.

"I want to thank all the fans for their support. It's great to see six or seven Greek flags being waved by fans, especially the kids.

"My team-mates and I will give everything to give them success but I hope everyone also understands we still need time to become a team.

"We have a lot of new players and we will not become a fantastic side within two or three weeks because everyone needs time to adjust and understand the Scottish game.

"However, this is the start of Hearts becoming a big club in Scotland and Europe.

"Our president Mr Romanov has given a lot for this team and we will do all we can for him to make this side powerful at home and abroad."

Taken from the Daily Record