Romanov wields Tynecastle axe again

graeme macpherson

2 Aug 2011

HEARTS yesterday sacked manager Jim Jefferies and his assistant Billy Brown and are expected to unveil Paulo Sergio as the pair's replacement later today.

Jefferies, who had returned to the club for a second spell as manager just 18 months ago, is believed to have been offered a new post as director of football but left Tynecastle last night without commenting.

The Hearts players were told the news by Vladimir Romanov, the club's majority shareholder, at a meeting at the club yesterday afternoon.

Romanov, who flew in from Lithuania to attend Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Dundee United at Tynecastle, is thought to have taken the decision after growing frustrated with the side's recent poor chain of results.

Hearts have not won since defeating St Mirren in March but opened the season with a creditable 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox, then secured the same result last Thursday in their Europa League match away to Paks of Hungary. The return match takes place at Tynecastle on Thursday.

If his appointment is confirmed, Hearts would be Sergio's seventh managerial role in eight years. The 43-year-old was latterly with Sporting Lisbon but was sacked in February following the club's Europa League defeat by Rangers.

This will be his first job outside of his native Portugal having also managed at Olhanense, Santa Clara, Beira-Mar, Pacos Ferreira and Vitoria Guimaraes. He lasted just eight months in charge at Sporting, although won 11 of his 17 matches during that time. He would become Hearts' eighth permanent manager in just seven years.

A striker, he spent most of an inauspicious playing career in the Portuguese leagues but also had a short stint with Grenoble in the French third division.

Speaking after the meeting, midfielder Ryan Stevenson said: "We'll wait until tomorrow and see what happens. We will just get on with it."

Taken from the Herald