Rudi's ready to walk out

RUDI SKACEL will risk the threat of legal action by walking out on Hearts at the end of this week.

The fallout between majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov and the Czech midfielder is set to intensify with the player willing to break his contract by quitting Tynecastle without permission.

Although formally contracted to Hearts for the next three years, Skacel is adamant that he will depart when his original loan deal from Marseille expires this Friday, June 30, and has already informed Romanov to that effect.

Hearts will consider suing the 25-year-old should he follow through with his intentions, but a source close to the player has revealed that his relationship with Romanov has become irreparable as his dissatisfaction with the running of the club continues.

The source said: "Rudi is ready to leave the club. He accepts that they could take official action against him for doing so, but the fact is that he wants out. Hearts have all the rights on him but they still need his agreement on a few issues and he isn't willing to agree."

Skacel is presently on the Cote d'Azur with the rest of the Hearts squad. They will return to Edinburgh on Thursday, however the Czech is now certain to be absent when the club's scheduled flight to Austria leaves next Monday. Prospective suitors, including George Burley's Southampton, are being discouraged from moving for Skacel with Romanov demanding upwards of £1.5million for his release. The source continued: "There is only so much that English clubs will pay for a player from Scotland and Rudi knows this."

Burley is coveting the services of both Skacel and Andy Webster, who will also officially part company with Hearts on Friday after invoking FIFA legislation. The former Tynecastle manager is now awaiting developments before pondering his next move.

Webster was offered £12,000 a week by Hearts, which could have risen to £18,000 a week with bonuses, but he has also taken issue with some of Romanov's decision making.

After learning that their Champions League second qualifying round opponents will be either Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia-Herzegovina or the Belarussian champions Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Hearts have received a timely injection of good fortune with the news that both Neil McCann and Jose Goncalves are likely to be fit in time to play in the ties at the end of July.

McCann is recovering from knee ligament damage sustained in January and Goncalves from a torn hamstring suffered in April, but both players are nearing fitness as pre-season training gets underway.

Hearts were linked with a move for Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng over the weekend. The former African Young Footballer of the Year has impressed Romanov's scouts with his performances at the World Cup, however his Swedish club AIK Solna's asking price of £2.75million is likely to deter the Tynecastle owner.

Meanwhile, former Hearts striker Stephane Adam has agreed a coaching role with French club Lille, with whom he played during his career.

The 1998 Scottish Cup winner will coach the club's strikers.

Taken from the Scotsman