Mystery man who holds supporters' hopes in his hands

Vladimir Romanov’s succession of hiring and firings over the last year have made the Hearts manager’s job highprofile, if only to see who the next sacrificial offering is going to be. So, who is the mystery man who has been given Graham Rix’s job? The 39-year-old coach is, not surprisingly, a fellow Lithuanian. He played in Germany with SV Hamburg and in Austria before retiring. He met Romanov in 2004 and coached the millionaire’s other club, FBK Kaunas, to title success in Lithuania, before coming to Edinburgh at the start of the season in a consultant’s role.

Ivanauskas was at the training ground at Riccarton every day and acted as Romanov’s eyes and ears. Romanov trusts his football knowledge implicitly and the lack of a language barrier, not to mention a philosophical one, will see the Hearts owner have a far smoother relationship than he did with Rix, George Burley or John Robertson.

Only yesterday, Ivanauskas gave an interview to the Edinburgh Evening News which laid bare his understanding of Romanov. It was given before Rix’s sacking but its timing adds a valuable insight into the new man, who will also lean on John McGlynn, the coach.

“For me, because I am Lithuanian and I have worked for Mr Romanov before, people may think that I work on two different sides,” Ivanauskas said. “This is normal but football people understand my role here, so it is no problem. I think the situation is a little better now in terms of communication with Mr Romanov. We have very good staff here with Graham, with John McGlynn, with Stevie Frail (the youth coach) and now with Jim Duffy (the director of football, sacked along with Rix yesterday).

“I have had to explain to Graham that he must try to think from Romanov’s point of view. For Graham it is difficult and I understand that because I have coached in Germany, but it is a mentality thing. Romanov is the boss, he is in control, and in Lithuania and Russia the owner can do what he likes.”

Romanov did just that last month by picking the side that drew 1-1 at Dundee United. “It’s difficult for Graham because in England and Scotland it is not normal for this to happen, but in Lithuania and Russia it is normal,” Ivanauskas said. “I also try to speak with Mr Romanov so that everyone is working for the benefit of the team, because results are what’s most important at the end of the day. I speak with Graham and the other coaches all the time and it is awkward for them when things like this happen but football is a difficult business.”

Ivanauskas was born in Kaunas, Romanov’s home town, leaving the city’s Lokomotiv club in 1990 for Austria Vienna and then moving to the Bundesliga where he played for SV Hamburg. “We won the championship in each of my three years in Vienna, as well as the Austrian Cup and Supercup. It was a nice time but I wanted more. Austria is a good level but the Bundesliga in Germany is always better.”

He gained his Uefa licence at the German FA’s school in Cologne six years ago. He had returned to Austria to play for Casino Salzburg and, in 2002, he began working with the Lithuanian FA in a role which he continues to this day as assistant coach with the national team, who are Scotland’s World Cup qualifying opponents.

A short spell as manager with the Lithuanian club FK Vetra saw him eliminate Hibernian from the Intertoto Cup in July 2004 and then he moved into Romanov’s orbit at FBK Kaunas.

“I first met Mr Romanov early in 2004,” Ivanauskas said. “He wanted a new manager for Kaunas and I thought it might be an interesting move for me. Kaunas are a big club and have been Lithuanian champions six times. They are the biggest team in Lithuania, so when Mr Romanov asked me to be his manager I was happy. We had talked many times.

“I was a champion and cup winner with Kaunas, and again Lithuania is OK for football but I knew that a higher level existed elsewhere, and I am very happy now at Hearts.

“Mr Romanov is a businessman. Without him I think Hearts would not be doing so well. Hearts are a big club with great supporters, I love the supporters here, but if Romanov wasn’t involved, Hearts would not be at this level. He has big ambitions for the club. This year has been good, but next year there will be more and then again the year after that. In two or three years, Hearts will be a phenomenal club.

“Mr Romanov will be here a long time and he can take Hearts a long way. He likes Hearts, he likes Edinburgh, he might plan a new stadium here. For him, Hearts are his baby. It’s not just his hobby now, it’s his business. Football to him is about supporters, players, contacts with other people in the game, and football is also politics.”

Ivanauskas feels his own career abroad has widened his horizons and that will come into play at Tynecastle, which now has eight different nationalities in the first-team squad.

“We have many different nationalities, which is good but it’s also difficult,” Ivanauskas said. “So many languages make it not easy, and also mentally it can be demanding whether you are a Portuguese player, a Czech, a Lithuanian, or a Scottish or English player.

“It’s the same in Germany. Football is the best game in the world because it brings people together. Mr Romanov will be here for a long time, and that is good for everybody here. For me, I have big ambitions. It’s very nice here and it reminds me of Germany.

“Big clubs, passionate supporters, big stadiums, and I like Edinburgh as a city — but I am only 39 and I am ambitious. I recognise how important it is for Hearts because we have a big chance this season to make the Champions League and win the Scottish Cup.”

Taken from timesonline.co.uk