Hearts report no-shows Webster and Skacel to FIFA

HEARTS have reported Andy Webster and Rudi Skacel to FIFA and the Scottish Football Association for breach of contract.

The duo, who have both stated their desire to leave Tynecastle, failed to show for the pre-season trip to Austria yesterday morning.

New head coach Valdas Ivanauskas had warned the players their Hearts careers would be over if they did not join the rest of the squad at Edinburgh airport. Skacel did turn up at the airport, but boarded a flight home to Prague instead. Webster did not appear.

Now the players' employers have taken action against the pair, who have been linked with a move to Southampton who are managed by former Tynecastle coach George Burley.

A statement from Hearts chairman and acting chief executive Roman Romanov said: "In breach with the agreement they had with the club, these two players did not go to pre-season training and in order to protect the interests of the club we have reported this matter to both FIFA and the Scottish FA. We will not comment on the matter further until it is resolved."

Webster, who fell from favour at Tynecastle last season after a dispute between his agent and club owner Vladimir Romanov, is likely to find support for his stance at the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association.

"Andy is entitled to invoke article 17 of the FIFA regulations," said Fraser Wishart, assistant secretary of the SPFA. "As far as we are concerned he is now free to sign for any club under the jurisdiction of another football association and any compensation that may be due will be decided by FIFA."

Skacel's contractual position has never been made 100 per cent clear by Hearts.

Taken from the Scotsman