Romanov riles referee

RUSSIAN referee Yuri Baskakov has hit back at Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, who accused him of being corrupt.

Baskakov sent off Julien Brellier and Neil McCann as the Tynecastle men crashed out of their Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens in Greece.

Hearts' owner claims to have made an official complaint to UEFA about the Russian official and it is understood the basis of this centres on remarks made by Baskakov to Romanov and others before the game in Athens as well as his performance during the match which Hearts lost 3-0 to crash out of the competition 5-1 on aggregate.

However, Baskakov said in a report yesterday: "I know what's being said about me and it's total rubbish.

"Nothing like this has ever happened to me in all my career and I can't understand what Mr Romanov's purpose in all this is."

Taken from the Scotsman