EURO CHAMPIONSHIP - SUPERSPY

LITHUANIA v SCOTLAND

Wednesday, kick-off 4.30pm Live BBC

LITHUANIA have hired Hearts boss Valdas Ivanuaskas as a super spy to help plot Scotland's downfall and wreck our Euro 2008 dream.

The Tynecastle gaffer will be flown to Kaunas today where he will hand over a bulging dossier on Walter Smith's squad to Algimantas Liubinskas who had Ivanauskas by his side three years ago when Lithuania beat the Scots 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

Now the national coach is praying his countryman can help them pull off another stunning result.

Liubinskas said: "We managed to beat Scotland in 2003 but the sides have changed a lot since with many new players for both teams.

"I don't know a lot about their individuals but Valdas will fly here and after that we will have much more information.

"I will speak to him at great length about Scotland. He is happy to help us try to beat them.

"Right now we only have small details but Valdas will tell us about systems, formations and all the players.

"He was my assistant when we beat Scotland two years ago and when I was coach at Zalgiris Vilnius he was a player in my team. We go back 15 years now.

"We finished fifth in the top league in Russia in 1984.I remember I gave him his debut and at half-time we were leading 1-0.

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"Because he was young I took him off and it proved a big mistake because we drew 1-1.

"We've kept good contact and it's great for us he's in Scotland.

"He can watch every match and give details on every player.

"He can go on to become a great manager but at Hearts under Romanov it's difficult.

"They've had good managers but we don't know what he is going to do next."

Liubinskas is delighted so many Lithuanians are strutting their stuff in the SPL mainly thanks to loan players from Kaunas going to Hearts.

It has given the likes of Deivi-das Cesnauskis and Saulius Mikoliunas the chance to shine and raised the profile of Scottish football in their homeland.

Liubinskas revealed MORE will follow on the road to Gorgie but fears the Jambos won't repeat their success of last season.

He said: "I don't know what Romanov wants for his club, whether he wants players from Scotland, Lithuania, Brazil, Chile, Argentina - I don't know.

"Whoever he gets it will turn out to be difficult for them to become champions of Scotland.

"Last season Hearts got second place but that's as far as they can go.This year they will do well to get into third position.

"There are many more players in Lithuania who could play in Scotland and I believe Romanov will try to bring them to Hearts.

"The people of Lithuania didn't know much about Scottish football but now they do.

"Every game Hearts play in the league, Scottish Cup and Europe is shown live here now.

"Cesnauskis and Mikoliunas have improved since they signed for Hearts and that can only help the national team."

Liubinskas is adamant Lithuania have improved since they beat Scotland and expects all the teams to take points off each other in Group B.

He said: "We're getting better every year but now we're in a group with the world champions and France so it's difficult.

"Every team in this group except the Faroes can beat each other."

Taken from the Sunday Mail