Furious Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo blasts Marius Zaliukas after third red card of the season

Feb 10 2009

HEARTS manager Csaba Laszlo says he is "angry and disappointed" with Marius Zaliukas after the defender's third sending-off of the season.

Laszlo is livid at the indiscipline of the 25-year-old Lithuania international, sent off in Saturday's Scottish Cup loss to Falkirk after appearing to strike Bairns forward Carl Finnigan.

Zaliukas, whose three dismissals have all come in the last three months, has been hit by a four-match suspension - meaning he will miss key SPL matches against against Aberdeen, St Mirren, Dundee United and Motherwell.

"I am very angry and disappointed with him, and definitely the player must think about his attitude," Laszlo raged.

"I can't understand that a player has three red cards in half a season. This is not okay. He may be young but he has international experience and has played a lot of games in the Scottish Premier League.

"He must have a different attitude. You can lose games - but you can't do what he did."

Laszlo, who already faced a defensive headache after selling captain Christophe Berra to Wolves last week, added: "We have spoken internally about this.

"I have never had a player in my career who has had so many red cards - and I don't want to see anyone in my team do this in the future.

"If you don't have self-discipline then nobody can help you."

Laszlo was more sympathetic when Zaliukas was sent off for the second time this season, in December's fiery 1-0 defeat at Aberdeen.

The defender was red-carded by referee Iain Brines for a headbutt on Dons match-winner Lee Miller. But Hearts were convinced television footage would clear the player, who they believed was more sinned against than sinning.

They appealed and were furious when Brines refused to overturn the decision, an outcome which contributed to the Scottish Football Association announcing they would review their disciplinary procedures at the end of the season.

Zaliukas also threatened to quit Scottish football.

But he can have few complaints about his red card on Saturday, which was Hearts' eighth since August and came just days after the club were fined £10,000 by the SFA for their poor disciplinary record this term.

The sum was suspended from July 2008, when the Jambos were hit with a £30,000 fine and warned about their players' future conduct.

Taken from the Daily Record