NEVIO SCALA, a former managerial candidate for Hearts, has told the Evening News that he will make a personal plea for the head coach's job at Tynecastle in the next few days.

The veteran Italian will make contact with Hearts, possibly as soon as this weekend, after hearing recent statements from majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov declaring interim head coach Valdas Ivanauskas as too inexperienced to hold down the job permanently. Having managed such European football luminaries as Parma and Borussia Dortmund, taking the Germans to the Champions League semi-finals in 1998, the 58-year-old believes his knowledge could be invaluable to Hearts next season as they prepare for a European assault.
7 Wonders

"In the next few days I will make a call to see what is happening. I want to ask what the situation is with Mr Romanov at the moment," said Scala.

"I have coached in Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and, of course, in Italy. I think I have enough experience for this job. I took Borussia Dortmund to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and the team who put us out, Real Madrid, went on to defeat Juventus in the final.

"I am not too old but I think I have just enough experience."

Scala was interviewed by Romanov for the head coach's role last summer, however he was rejected in favour of George Burley after requesting additional time to perfect his command of the English language and gain further knowledge on Scottish football.

Now, though, he maintains he would be ready to fly to Edinburgh immediately if requested to do so. "I am ready to take the job but I know I am not the only one and there are others interested. This is why I must call because it does not only depend on me," he said.

Romanov will delay any decision on Hearts' new managerial structure until the summer when it is ascertained whether the club will be playing Champions League or UEFA Cup football next season.

He also has a director of football post to fill, however the level of experience required by successful candidates will depend upon the level of foreign competition they are to face.

Romanov maintains that Ivanauskas will not be considered for the head coach's role. "He hasn't got enough experience," said the Lithuanian banker. However, Ivanauskas is almost guaranteed to remain at Tynecastle in another coaching capacity next season.

Ivanauskas welcomes back Julien Brellier and Roman Bednar from suspension for tonight's SPL visit to Celtic Park, where the Hearts players are determined to ruin a potential championship party for Gordon Strachan's side.

Victory will secure the title for Strachan in his first season as a manager in Scotland, but the Edinburgh club desperately require the points to keep Rangers at bay in the fight for Scotland's second Champions League slot.

In that respect, Hearts expect to receive a boost in the coming days with the return to full training of Lithuanian midfielder Nerijus Barasa, who has been absent since January with hamstring trouble.

The player was hoping for a return some time last month but a frustrating setback curtailed his efforts. Now, he is only days away from rejoining his team-mates on the training field at Riccarton.

"He is close now and can start to train with the squad in the next day or two," said coach John McGlynn. "We haven't really had Nerijus playing for us because he has only made a couple of substitute appearances, but we want him back because he looked quite impressive in those short outings."

Taken from the Scotsman