Fyssas voices his ultimate goal

'TAKIS, Takis, sing us a song!" A new number in the Hearts fans' repertoire, it stems from the comical moment two months ago when the Greek defender took charge of the mic in the middle of the Tynecastle pitch and belted out "Champions League, la, la, la, la".

It was minutes after the Gorgie club had defeated Aberdeen to clinch second place in last season's Bank of Scotland Premierleague and, with it, a shot at qualifying for the Champions League.

Since that night, the 33-year-old Greek international says he still hasn't learned the rest of the words to the terracing ditty and earnestly hopes Hearts fans will customise the common refrain by sticking with the la, la, las - but while he may not be au fait with football lyrics, he is certainly well aware of what playing in the highest echelons of world club football means.

A veteran of more than 40 Champions League games, he lists matches against Juventus and Real Madrid among his most cherished memories and can still hardly believe he was part of the Panathinaikos side which progressed to the quarter-final in 2002, beating Barcelona at home before losing out in the second leg.

It is that pedigree, allied to his desire to lock away more highlights in his memory bank, which will be pivotal in the upcoming weeks. As their Premierleague rivals enjoy a final few days' preparation for the domestic campaign which lies ahead, on Wednesday, at Murrayfield, Fyssas and his team-mates will be looking to move one step closer to completing a task that has already been a year in the making. The target is a place in the Champions League group stage, the latest obstacle, the first of (hopefully) two qualifying ties, this time against Bosnian side NK Siroki Brijeg.

"It will be difficult for all of us but I think the guys are ready for this. I saw that in their eyes, that they are thirsty for these kind of games. We have young boys and we have experienced players and I think this mix is going to help the team to good results. Last season we worked hard for this and now we need to get a good result.

"We all understand how important the first game will be. I think after the last friendly game that we are okay. We are not 100% and we have a difficult job to do because this Bosnian team are a good team. They have won two times and didn't suffer any goals so it will be a difficult evening but I believe that with the help of our fans and by showing great heart we will get the result we want."

He says that sense of belief is prevalent in the squad, with excitement overwhelming any sign of nerves. A player who has long since endeared himself to the Hearts faithful, he will ingratiate himself further with the assertion that his current team is as good as any he has previously played in at this level. Which bodes well as they aim safely to negotiate the final two qualifying rounds and earn the right to glamour matches against Europe's very best in the group stage.

"I have good experiences with qualification games with Panathinaikos but I have to say that every game like this is very difficult, they are the most difficult because we are still at the start of the season and no-one has 100% fitness or match fitness and there is a lot of stress because everyone wants to pass to the groups. As a team we have to play better and help each other but I know the hard work will be worth it.

"I will never forget those experiences because when I was a child, every time I watched on television I wanted to be there as a fan and I was there as a player! I don't want to ask God for anything more because he gave my family good health and this is most important and he has given me a lot but now I want my team Hearts to pass through to the groups.

"Now that I have already played these games, sometimes I don't really believe it has happened to me because life continues and you don't really see the past. But when I do have time and I think about it, I am very pleased. In Greece we do this," he says as he blesses himself, "because we know we have a great gift. Of course, I have worked hard all my years, since I started as professional at 19, I am pleased and that's why I say I don't ask for more. But on Wednesday I will want to get a result because you never stop dreaming or stop having targets. I have won so much but why not try to win more? Some people win things every year so, why not?"

Describing last season as "sweet" thanks to the birth of his daughter as well as the rebirth of Hearts, the European Championships winner realises that progress in Europe would render the task of emulating the domestic feats of that campaign even more mammoth but is willing to have a bash, confident that the club and the players have the ambition to achieve it.

"Yes, it will be tough. This season will be more difficult than the last one but I believe that it doesn't mean we are going to have more stress. I believe in my colleagues and myself and I think that we all have the power to start well this season.

"At the start of last season I looked at the players in the dressing room and they wanted to play but now they know they can play. We have last season on our back and we believe in ourselves. I have to be honest and say that this time I want to be number one. Last year we were number two but we can do better. But it will be more difficult and if we don't finish number one then I don't mean that will be a bad season but you have to set targets. Always new targets.

"Last season, we started very well but all the time people kept asking when we would stop, people didn't expect us to finish second. We surprised a lot of people."

Domestically that surprise element may be missing but in Europe it remains something to capitalise on. "We know that if we pass to the group stages, even in the next qualifying round, every big team will want to play Hearts. But we won't be afraid. I think they will get a surprise because I don't think they will like playing us at our ground, with our fans.

"Yes, there are teams on a different level but if we work hard maybe we can beat them, maybe not. You never know in football. We have good players and experienced players and we have a lot of heart."

On Wednesday they will aim to prove that and then spend the rest of the season sending out regular reminders.

Taken from the Scotsman