Hearts: The bizarre 'intimidated' Rudi Skacel request from Vladimir Romanov

Ex-Hearts boss Jim Jefferies recalls some of the bizarre requests when Tynecastle boss under Vladimir Romanov
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Hearts legend Jim Jefferies was once asked by the club’s former owner Vladimir Romanov not to play Rudi Skacel at St Johnstone as he was going to be “intimidated”.

Speaking to Si Ferry in an in-depth interview about his career for Open Goal, Jefferies recalled some of the bizarre incidents he had to deal with during his second spell as manager of the club.

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The 69-year-old returned to Hearts in 2010, more than nine years after leaving the club for Bradford City.

Vladimir Romanov made some unusual respects during his time at Hearts. Picture: SNSVladimir Romanov made some unusual respects during his time at Hearts. Picture: SNS
Vladimir Romanov made some unusual respects during his time at Hearts. Picture: SNS

Jefferies, who had led the club to Scottish Cup success in 1998 following a 36-year wait for a major trophy, took over from Csaba Laszlo and turned the team into early title contenders.

In November 2010, Hearts had beaten Hibs and Celtic in back-to-back matches with a trip to St Johnstone to complete three fixtures in a week.

A spanner was nearly thrown into the works ahead of the match when Romanov made an unusual request.

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“Playing Hibs, we beat them down there (Easter Road),” Jefferies recalled. “We go and play Celtic in midweek, we beat them 2-0 with two great goals. Skacel was outstanding and David Templeton got the second goal. We got to St Johnstone and we think this would be some week if we can finish it off there with three results.

Hearts legend Jim Jefferies had to contend with some interesting moments during his second spell at boss. Picture: SNSHearts legend Jim Jefferies had to contend with some interesting moments during his second spell at boss. Picture: SNS
Hearts legend Jim Jefferies had to contend with some interesting moments during his second spell at boss. Picture: SNS

“Before the game he phoned me up, ‘I don’t think Skacel should play today’. He’s (Romanov) in Lithuania.

“I said: ‘Why?’ And he said: ‘Because he will be intimidated’.

“’Mr Romanov, you’re a week late. We played Hibs. I said: ‘If there is anywhere he is going to be intimidated, it is going to be Easter Road but you never said not play him there’.

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“He said: ‘I think he is going to be intimidated, it is not the right place to play him so leave him out’.

“I said: ‘I can’t as the team sheets were in’. They weren’t.

“He said: ‘Okay, see how he goes, keep an eye on him. If it looks like he is not involved take him off’.

“(We) won the game 2-0, outstanding again. So we had three results in a week and dedicated it to the team (McCrae's Battalion) when we had the service in the Gorgie Suite.”

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Jefferies added: “St Johnstone? There’ll be nobody there for a start, apart from the Hearts supporters. It’s not a packed stadium.”

The former Kilmarnock and Falkirk boss also revealed to Ferry Romanov’s propensity to turn up to training.

He said: “He’d come to training, he had a locker (with his own kit) with VR on it. He’d stop the training and say ‘I need the young boys to come, I need a goalkeeper’.

“He would take penalties with the goalkeeper. We had to stand around the 18-yard box cheering him.”

The full interview can be listened to and watched HERE.