Paulo Sergio's history lesson offers Hearts hope in Scottish Cup

The Hearts manager, whose side face Celtic on Sunday, knows all about unlikely cup triumphs after being part of the Belenenses side who won the 1989 Portuguese cup

Ewan Murray

Paulo Sergio needs no lesson in winning trophies the hard way. Heart of Midlothian's manager was part of the Belenenses team in his native Portugal who lifted their main domestic cup in 1989. It may be owing to modesty that Sergio claims he would only be the recipient of slight recognition were he to return to the Lisbon club.

The same would not transpire if Sergio guides Hearts to Scottish Cup victory next month. Their last two successes in the tournament, in 2006 and 1998, saw tens of thousands of fans line Edinburgh's streets in celebration. Sunday's semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park gives Sergio the chance to edge closer to legendary – and that would be the true significance – status at Tynecastle.

"To get to the final we had to beat Sporting and we had to beat Porto," Sergio recalls of 23 years ago. "Then we beat Benfica in the final so it was a fantastic achievement, beating the three biggest teams in the country to win that cup."

This season, Hearts have toiled to knock out the junior side Auchinleck Talbot before needing replays to dispose of St Johnstone and St Mirren. "We had to replay both games but, if you remember, we could have avoided that in the first games at home," Sergio shrugs.

The manager prefers such reflection to looking forward. When asked if he is aware of the importance placed on any Scottish Cup triumph, Sergio immediately jumps on the defensive. "I'm not thinking about that," Sergio explains. "I cannot be thinking about that. I am thinking about the semi-final. I am not going to talk about that; I am not going to the final, I am going to the semi-final. I can't talk about winning the cup, I just would like to be in the final."

That'll be that, then. Perhaps Sergio's working environment douses his ability to dream. Few Hearts managers are afforded long-term thought, owing to the ruthless ways of the club's owner, Vladimir Romanov. Hearts retain an option to extend Sergio's contract beyond this season – and he is thought to be agreeable to that – but only the brave would bet on whether they will do so.

For all Hearts' off-field troubles – including the continual late payment of player salaries – the personnel at Sergio's disposal means the team's current sixth place in the Scottish Premier League represents underachievement. It is an understandable source of annoyance for the Hearts support that their club is not in a stronger position to capitalise on Rangers' woes.

"I'm never worried about myself. I'm here for Hearts. It's about Hearts, not Paulo," he insists. "Always in my life things come naturally. I have to focus on my job and what happens, happens. I'm never worried about myself, I've never worked like that as a player nor manager."

Whatever animosity is prevalent in the Hampden stands – and there tends to be plenty when these teams meet – it is unlikely to extend to either technical area. Sergio and Neil Lennon, Celtic's manager, have respect and admiration which is mutual; the Portuguese has, at least, been a welcome and colourful addition to the Scottish football scene.

"I think he is a guy, like me, who believes in hard work," Sergio says of Lennon. "That is the image I have of him. He has great players, a great squad, and all he needs to be successful."

But is there any sense that Celtic's mentality may have softened now the SPL title has been secured? "I don't believe that," Sergio says. "We are going to be the first team to play them as champions and I believe they deserve to be champions. It is going to be even harder because they already lost a [League Cup] final and they will want to be in this one to win it. What happened in the League Cup final [when they were beaten 1-0 by Kilmarnock in March] will make them even more alert for this game."

Taken from the Guardian/Observer