The biggest game in Hearts' history

SECURING a place in the Champions League is more important to Hearts than their Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Hibs.

Interim head coach Valdas Ivanauskas will tell his players before the match with Aberdeen tonight that their season only becomes worthwhile by overcoming the final hurdle and taking their place in the second qualifying round of UEFA's premier tournament.

That will occur with victory over Jimmy Calderwood's side, rendering Rangers unable to close what would be a four-point gap between themselves and Hearts when the clubs meet at Ibrox on Sunday.

Ivanauskas was at Easter Road last night, accompanied by Vladimir and Roman Romanov, to see Rangers maintain the pressure on Hearts with a 2-1 victory over their Edinburgh rivals. He relished the 4-0 semi-final win over Hibs at Hampden in only his second game in charge, but that won't compare to what is at stake this evening.

He said: "This will be the biggest game of my time with Hearts. The semi-final with Hibs was very important but, in our situation, and being so close to the Champions League place, I think this is more important.

"This is the culmination of our season. As a player I played in the Champions League qualifiers three times with Austria Vienna and we never made the group stages. That will be the challenge for Hearts.

"I also experienced the European Cup with Hamburg. These were good memories, so I want my players to have those kind of memories for themselves."

Ivanauskas will watch the game from the stand after the SFA refused his appeal against a two-match touchline ban, and assistant coach John McGlynn will issue instructions from the home dugout.

"This is the biggest league game in the club's history," said McGlynn. "Our chances of qualifying for the Champions League are massive, and that can have a big knock-on effect for the club in terms of further investment. It could take us on to another level altogether so it's a massive game.

"The win against Celtic, and the style in which we achieved it, makes confidence levels rise in the players. They are so professional and they have put up with a lot this season, so we need one big final effort tonight. Aberdeen are still in with a good chance of fourth place if they win so it should be a really special match."

Captain Steven Pressley and defender Ibrahim Tall are expected to make the match, with McGlynn adding: "I think Craig, Elvis and Ibrahim Tall are all going to be okay and I'd expect them to be available for selection."

Hearts have agreed to extend Rudi Skacel's stay with the club and have invoked their option to retain the player for a further two years by buying over his contract from French club Marseille at a cost of £500,000.

However, the Czech's long-term future at Tynecastle remains shrouded in uncertainty with sources close to Skacel indicating that it is far from certain he will be a Hearts player next season. Should he be sold after becoming an official Hearts player, though, the club can expect a fee in the region of £1million.

Taken from the Scotsman