Hearts manager Paulo Sergio: Latest wage row won't affect my stars on the park

Euan McLean

PAULO SERGIO admits another wages crisis is the last thing Hearts need as they gear up for today’s Edinburgh derby.

But the Jambos gaffer insists it won’t affect his players on the pitch because they’ve already shown the mental strength to get through these tough times together.

Earlier in the season, the frustrated players endured three consecutive months without their wages dropping into the bank in time, earning Hearts a stern warning from the SPL not to let it happen again.

But on Friday it did with the cash-strapped club missing another payday, leaving Sergio another massive task as he looks to lift his squad for today’s Tynecastle showdown.

Yet Sergio has no doubt his stars will rise to the occasion – just as they did at the height of their wages wrangle in December when they put aside their off-pitch worries to go on a six-game unbeaten run.

Sergio said: “I’m sure we would like to focus just on football but we can’t do anything about it, we have to
deal with the situations when they arise.

“This is a problem and what matters is the way you deal with it. The problem itself doesn’t bring people together, it’s the way you deal with it.

“That’s what can help you get results in hard situations but it is never easy.

“I believe we will deal with the problem together. There is no magic from the manager or from anybody else individually.

“The way we manage it is that we work collectively.

“I’m not going to talk about the wages because we have an important game.

“Of course, if we’re going to have another delay, it never helps but I want to be focused on the game and I want the players focused too. I don’t want to be anticipating anything worse, nothing bad. I want people
concentrating on the match.”

The derby is a time for cool heads at the best of times, let alone when combined with money worries and concerns for the long-term future of the club.

But Sergio has done well to keep his players’ minds on the job since taking over from Jim Jefferies in August and he believes a calm professional approach will be crucial against an improved Hibs side feeling confident going into a fixture that has yielded eight red cards from the last 12 derbies.

Sergio added: “Mentally I’m always appealing for cool heads because I read in the past about the atmosphere that a derby game creates.

“It is for our supporters to live, not our players. The players should be focused on their missions and what they have to do on the pitch, you can’t get emotional about that.

“To be honest with you, I live through all the games with the same passion and motivation, not just the derby. I prepare for all the games to try to win and it’s no different if it is Hibs we are playing or another club.

“Only after we get the points in a game like this can you see the atmosphere around you is different. But it is the fans who create that atmosphere – my passion and my feelings don’t change.

“From my point of view, we have to respect our opponents. Rivalry is a good thing, football lives with these rivalries in every big city but it’s important to respect everybody.

“I respect Hibs and their professionalism. I know they are improving and have almost a new squad for the second part of the season. They are improving their situation and we will have to work hard to get a result.”

Taken from the Daily Record