Ivanauskas to be director of football... at not one, not two, but three clubs

RESTED Hearts head coach Valdas Ivanauskas is poised to take up the unique role of football director at all three of Vladimir Romanov's clubs.

In a bizarre move expected to be officially confirmed this week, Ivanauskas is set to oversee Romanov's controlling outfits - Hearts, Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas and Belarusian side MTZ-Ripo.

It means the Lithuanian, replaced as head coach at Hearts by Anatoli Korobochka on an interim basis last week, will return to Edinburgh but only as part of Romanov's latest restructuring.

Ivanauskas, who has been out of the country conducting "football business" on Hearts' behalf since the 1-1 draw with St Mirren on February 17, was being lined up for director of football at Tynecastle.

Now it appears he will divide his time in that role between all three clubs, each of which is supported financially by Romanov's UBIG empire.

Ivanauskas' new position again raises the prospect of more player exchanges between Romanov's teams, with Hearts already having 13 players signed or on loan from Kaunas.

Asked of Ivanauskas' new role, assistant coach Stevie Frail said: "I'm under the understanding it's for UBIG, if that takes in Kaunas, the Belarusian team and Hearts.

"What Valdas' role will be here, I'm sure Mr Romanov knows what it is. But I expect it to be a role that he maybe takes in Hearts for a few weeks and then another club.

"Maybe he will act as someone who then goes back to Mr Romanov with different things that he's maybe seen at each club and helps him out that way.

"I don't know if it will stretch to players getting moved between clubs, I don't know what his job description will be on that."

Meanwhile, Frail also revealed that Korobochka and Ivanauskas are in talks to organise a training camp for Hearts during the international break later this month.

With Euro 2008 double-headers looming from March 24, the remainder of the Gorgie squad may jet away and prepare for the SPL run-in as they seek second spot and a Champions League qualifying place.

Frail added: "I know we're trying to set up something just now for the international break with the players left behind.

"I think Anatoli has been speaking to Valdas on that to tie something up there.

"We won't have as many players away as normal. Five or six Lithuanians, Craig Gordon to Scotland, Laryea Kingston with Ghana and probably Takis Fyssas with Greece, but it still leaves a reasonable squad.

"I think they're thinking of something just to freshen things up, whether we go away to a training camp or something like that."

Taken from the Scotsman