Rudi's future to hinge on the race for second spot

THE race for second place in the SPL could determine the future of Hearts' top goalscorer Rudi Skacel, who is desperate to play Champions League football next season.

Skacel's loan deal from the French club Marseille ends in the summer. Hearts have first option to sign him permanently and the foundations of a deal are already in place after a meeting between the player and his agent in January.

However, securing the midfielder, who has scored 16 goals this season, could hinge on whether the club are playing in the Champions League or UEFA Cup next season.

Hearts hold a four-point lead over Rangers with just three matches remaining as the battle for the second Champions League spot intensifies. Skacel is withholding his signature until the matter is ascertained, although he is unlikely to sign if the Edinburgh club were to finish in third place.

Eliot van Til, a representative of the 26-year-old, said today: "The Champions League issue could have a bearing on Rudi's decision. At the moment, he is focused on two things. Firstly, he is trying to achieve as high a position as possible with Hearts and claim that second Champions League space. Then he is also hoping to cement a place in the Czech World Cup squad.

"Obviously, the two go hand in hand because he needs to be playing well to achieve both.

"There have been a lot of changes at Hearts throughout the club and that has to be taken into account, so it's been difficult for Rudi to make any decision."

Skacel has failed to start three of Hearts' last four matches, including the weekend defeat at Easter Road, as the prickly issue of team selection has once again reared its head at Tynecastle. Earlier this month he was reported to have stormed out of the ground after being left out of the squad for the match with Dunfermline.

Van Til hinted that his client is not happy at being omitted, particularly when his World Cup dream is within touching distance.

"He always wants to play. If he isn't playing, then that's selection and there is little he can do about it. I haven't spoken to him on how he felt about being left out on Saturday. There has been so much speculation and so much written about Rudi and this decision that he just wants to get his head down and play at the moment.

"He is in the mind of the Czech coach [Karel Bruckner], who is noted for being loyal to his players previously, so one would hope it would be the same for Rudi with regards to the World Cup squad."

Meanwhile, Hearts have yet to agree a compensation package with former head coach Graham Rix, who was dismissed from office last month only weeks before his short-term contract was due to expire.

Lawyers representing Rix and the Romanovs are still negotiating, although they are understood to be far from a deal.

Rix returns to Tynecastle for the first time since his sacking this weekend when he will be a studio guest of Setanta, who will broadcast Hearts' critical SPL meeting with Celtic live.

Taken from the Scotsman