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2006–07 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season

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Heart of Midlothian
2006–07 season
ChairmanRoman Romanov
ManagerValdas Ivanauskas
(until 23 October)
Eduard Malofeev (interim)
Anatoliy Korobochka
(from 2 March)
StadiumTynecastle Park
Murrayfield Stadium
Scottish Premier League4th
Scottish CupFourth round
League CupQuarter-finals
UEFA Champions LeagueThird qualifying round
UEFA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Andrius Velička (9)
All: Andrius Velička (12)
Highest home attendance32,459, vs. AEK Athens, Champions League, 9 August 2006
Lowest home attendance15,912 vs. Inverness CT, SPL, 26 August 2006

The 2006–07 season was the 126th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian, and their 24th consecutive season in the top level of Scottish football, competing in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts also competed in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.

Overview

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Following an indifferent start to their League campaign, head coach Valdas Ivanauskas took a sabbatical from his role on 23 October. Club owner Vladimir Romanov, who stated "I have full confidence in Valdas and look forward to his return",[1] appointed the club's sporting director, Eduard Malofeev, as interim head coach. Further off-field disruption ensued four days later when Romanov warned his players that they would all be put up for sale if Hearts did not win their match against Dunfermline Athletic the next day. Captain Steven Pressley, flanked by senior players Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon, responded with a statement voicing the players' unhappiness at affairs at the club, stating in a pre-match media conference ahead of Dunfermline's visit that there was "significant unrest" in the dressing room.[2] The game was drawn 1–1.

The repercussions from the press conference stretched over several months and eventually led to the departure from the club of two of the so-called Riccarton Three.[3] Pressley was dropped for a match against Falkirk on 13 November[4] and named as an unused substitute for a 1–0 defeat by Rangers on 19 November.[5] Hartley was only used as a substitute in the former game. Pressley eventually left Hearts on 9 December, with accompanying press releases stating that this was an amicable agreement. He joined rivals Celtic on 1 January 2007 and captained his new squad to a 2–1 victory at Tynecastle on his first return to Edinburgh. Hartley also moved to Celtic during January 2007, in a £1.1 million transfer on 31 January. This only left Gordon, who was dropped for matches away to Dundee United and Rangers in December and January respectively, as the only member of the trio to remain at Hearts beyond the January transfer window.

Hearts failed to win a game under the management of Eduard Malofeev, who took control during Ivanauskas' sabbatical. Hearts lost at Celtic and Hibernian – a result which eliminated Hearts from the Scottish League Cup – and at home to Rangers. He remained as caretaker manager until late November 2006 when, despite media reports anticipating the appointment of Eugenijus Riabovas,[6] Ivanauskas returned to resume his duties as club manager.[7]

A 1–0 loss in the Scottish Cup at Dunfermline on 3 February 2007, with Gordon on the bench, ended Hearts' chance to retain the trophy. Later that month, Ivanauskas was moved to a director of football role,[8] with director of football Anatoly Korobochka assuming the role of interim head coach on 2 March. An improved run of form towards the end of the season witnessed Hearts challenge Aberdeen for third spot in the League and UEFA Cup qualification. The Dons scored a last minute equaliser in a head-to-head confrontation between the two teams at Tynecastle in May, and eventually finished four points clear in third place.

First team squad

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Squad at end of season[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Scotland SCO Craig Gordon
2 DF Scotland SCO Robbie Neilson
3 DF Greece GRE Takis Fyssas
5 DF Senegal SEN Ibrahim Tall[10]
6 MF Lithuania LTU Nerijus Barasa (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
7 MF Scotland SCO Neil McCann
8 MF Portugal POR Bruno Aguiar (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
9 FW Lithuania LTU Edgaras Jankauskas
11 FW Czech Republic CZE Michal Pospíšil
12 FW Czech Republic CZE Roman Bednář
13 GK England ENG Steve Banks
14 MF Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Mirsad Bešlija
16 MF Lithuania LTU Saulius Mikoliūnas
18 MF Lithuania LTU Deividas Česnauskis (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
19 FW Chile CHI Mauricio Pinilla (on loan from Sporting CP)
20 DF Scotland SCO Christophe Berra
21 DF Portugal POR José Gonçalves (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
22 FW Scotland SCO Calum Elliot
23 DF Scotland SCO Lee Wallace
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 MF Lithuania LTU Kęstutis Ivaškevičius (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
25 DF Greece GRE Christos Karipidis
26 DF Lithuania LTU Marius Žaliūkas (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
27 FW Lithuania LTU Andrius Velička (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
28 MF France FRA Julien Brellier
29 FW Iceland ISL Hjálmar Þórarinsson
30 GK Scotland SCO Jamie MacDonald
31 DF Scotland SCO Marco Pelosi
32 DF Northern Ireland NIR David Armstrong
33 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Denis McLaughlin
34 MF Ghana GHA Laryea Kingston (on loan from Terek Grozny)
35 FW England ENG Jamie Mole
36 MF Scotland SCO John Neill
37 MF Scotland SCO Andrew Driver[11]
40 DF Iceland ISL Eggert Jónsson
43 GK Lithuania LTU Eduardas Kurskis (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
44 FW Poland POL Arkadiusz Klimek (on loan from FBK Kaunas)
45 FW Lithuania LTU Linas Pilibaitis (on loan from FBK Kaunas)

Left club during season

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
4 DF Scotland SCO Steven Pressley (to Celtic)
10 MF Scotland SCO Paul Hartley (to Celtic)
15 FW Finland FIN Juho Mäkelä (on loan to FC Thun)
17 DF Portugal POR Tiago Costa (released)
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 MF England ENG Lee Johnson (to Bristol City)
34 MF Northern Ireland NIR Matthew Doherty (on loan to Cowdenbeath)
38 GK Sweden SWE Milan Barjaktarevic (to Kalmar FF)

Matches

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Pre-season

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Hearts travelled to Austria for a pre-season tour.

5 July 2006 Friendly LASK 1–1 Heart of Midlothian Stadion Windischgarsten
Muhlbauer 62' Bešlija 83' Attendance: 400
Referee: Dietmar Drabek
8 July 2006 Friendly Spartak Trnava 1–3 Heart of Midlothian Stadion Windischgarsten
Peter Duris 80' Cesnauskis 31', 36'
Bešlija 83'
Attendance: 200
Referee: Thomas Prammer
12 July 2006 Friendly CFR Cluj 1–1 Heart of Midlothian Stadion Stainach
Zelemcz 92' Mäkelä 77' Attendance: 80
Referee: Rene Eisner
19 July 2006 Friendly Heart of Midlothian 2–0 Osasuna Murrayfield Stadium
Velička 73'
Tall 90'
Attendance: 18,997
Referee: Craig Mackay
20 July 2006 Friendly Livingston 1–2 Heart of Midlothian Almondvale Stadium
Weir 63' Neill 52'
Bešlija 54'
Attendance: 900

Scottish Premier League

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6 August 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 2–1 Celtic Tynecastle Park
Bednář 49' (87) Petrov 65' Attendance: 16,822
Referee: Stuart Dougal
12 August 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 0–0 Falkirk Tynecastle Park
Attendance: 16,127
Referee: John Underhill
19 August 2006 SPL Rangers 2–0 Heart of Midlothian Ibrox
Boyd 47' (pen.), 49' Attendance: 50,239
Referee: Kenny Clark
26 August 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 4–1 Inverness CT Tynecastle Park
Pinilla 17' Mole 42' Driver 80' Aguiar 91' Bayne 29' Attendance: 15,912
Referee: Steve Conroy
9 September 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 0–1 St Mirren Tynecastle Park
Kean 82' Attendance: 16,823
Referee: Douglas McDonald
17 September 2006 SPL Motherwell 0–1 Heart of Midlothian Fir Park
Mole 68' Attendance: 5,931
Referee: Iain Brines
24 September 2006 SPL Aberdeen 1–3 Heart of Midlothian Pittodrie Stadium
Daal 82' Berra 64' Pinilla 76' Mikoliūnas 81' Attendance: 11,160
Referee: Stuart Dougal
15 October 2006 SPL Hibernian 2–2 Heart of Midlothian Easter Road
Zemamma 5' Killen 16' Velička 29' (72) Attendance: 16,623
Referee: Charlie Richmond
4 November 2006 SPL Celtic 2–1 Heart of Midlothian Celtic Park
Jarosik 86' Gordon 94' (og.) Velička 72' Attendance: 58,971
Referee: Craig Thomson
13 November 2006 SPL Falkirk 1–1 Heart of Midlothian Falkirk Stadium
Latapy 84' Velička 65' Attendance: 6,289
Referee: Mike McCurry
19 November 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 0–1 Rangers Tynecastle Park
Novo 78' Attendance: 17,040
Referee: Dougie McDonald
2 December 2006 SPL St Mirren 2–2 Heart of Midlothian Love Street
Kean 19' (21) Mikoliūnas 1' Zaliukas 51' Attendance: 5,728
Referee: Charlie Richmond
9 December 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 4–1 Motherwell Tynecastle Park
Fyssas 9' Quinn 55' (og.) Velička 58' Aguiar 64' Foran 20' Attendance: 16,753
Referee: Craig Mackay
16 December 2006 SPL Heart of Midlothian 0–1 Aberdeen Tynecastle Park
Lovell 87' Attendance: 17,274
Referee: Stuart Dougal
14 January 2007 SPL Heart of Midlothian 1–2 Celtic Tynecastle Park
Mikoliūnas 28' Hesselink 59' Jarosik 81' Attendance: 17,129
Referee: Kenny Clark
20 January 2007 SPL Heart of Midlothian 1–0 Falkirk Tynecastle Park
Bednář 74' Attendance: 17,247
Referee: Steve Conroy
27 January 2007 SPL Rangers 0–0 Heart of Midlothian Ibrox
Attendance: 50,321
Referee: Charlie Richmond
5 March 2007 SPL Motherwell 0–2 Heart of Midlothian Fir Park
Tall 37' Craigan 66' (og.) Attendance: 4,389
Referee: Stuart Dougal
10 March 2007 SPL Aberdeen 1–0 Heart of Midlothian Pittodrie
Lovell 7' Attendance: 13,964
Referee: Steve Conroy
17 March 2007 SPL Heart of Midlothian 0–4 Dundee United Tynecastle Park
Robson 51' (70), 78' Hunt 59' Attendance: 17,172
Referee: Craig Mackay
21 April 2007 SPL Rangers 2–1 Heart of Midlothian Ibrox
Rae 52' Ferguson 79' Velička 16' Attendance: 50,099
Referee: Iain Brines
12 May 2007 SPL Heart of Midlothian 2–0 Hibs Tynecastle Park
Pospíšil 1' Driver 23' Attendance: 16,434
Referee: Stuart Dougal
20 May 2007 SPL Kilmarnock 1–0 Heart of Midlothian Rugby Park
Naismith 82 pen.' Attendance: 11,030
Referee: Willie Collum

Scottish League Cup

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Scottish Cup

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6 January 2007 Third round Stranraer 0–4 Heart of Midlothian Stair Park
BBC SPORT Velička 17' (43), 90' Bednář 79' Attendance: 5,100
Referee: Eddie Smith

UEFA Champions League

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Hearts played their home 2006/2007 European Champions League games at Murrayfield Stadium, rather than in their home ground Tynecastle. A combination of Tynecastle falling short of UEFA requirements in terms of pitch size and hospitality facilities, and Murrayfield's greater capacity, meant that Murrayfield was the preferred choice for the Tynecastle board. Hearts won their second round qualifying tie against Bosnian champions Široki Brijeg 3–0 on aggregate, but were defeated 5–1 on aggregate by AEK Athens in the final qualifying round. The Greek side won 2–1 at Murrayfield due to two late goals and then won 3–0 in the Athens Olympic Stadium. Hearts had one player (Bruno Aguiar) sent off in the first leg and two players (Julien Brellier and Neil McCann) sent off in the second leg.

2 August 2006 Second qualifying round Croatia Široki Brijeg 0–0 Heart of Midlothian Stadion Pecara
Branimir Anic 53' (og.) Tall 79' Bednář 84' Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Viktor Kassai

UEFA Cup

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The loss in the final qualifying round meant that Hearts dropped into the UEFA Cup first round against Sparta Prague. In this competition they lost 2–0 at a muddy Murrayfield in the first leg and they were eliminated after a 0–0 draw in Prague in the return leg on 28 September 2006.

14 September 2006 First round Heart of Midlothian 0–2 Czech Republic Sparta Prague Murrayfield Stadium
Kolar 33' Matusovic 70' Attendance: 27,255
Referee: Paolo Bertini

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[a]
2 Rangers 38 21 9 8 61 32 29 72 Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
3 Aberdeen 38 19 8 11 55 38 17 65 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Heart of Midlothian 38 17 10 11 47 35 12 61
5 Kilmarnock 38 16 7 15 47 54 −7 55
6 Hibernian 38 13 10 15 56 46 10 49
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.

Transfers

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On the eve of the SPL season, Hearts announced the capture of Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla on a season-long loan. PAOK's Christos Karipidis and Tiago Costa, a full back from Benfica B were also signed, while in the final week of the transfer window three further Lithuanian players – Marius Žaliūkas, Kęstutis Ivaškevičius and Andrius Velička – joined on loan from FBK Kaunas. Hearts fans still anticipated the arrival of "two World Cup stars" but were left disappointed when the club announced that the final piece of business of the transfer window would be to sign the previously-loaned striker Roman Bednář on a permanent deal.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ivanauskas to take two-week break". BBC Sport. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  2. ^ "Romanov issues player ultimatum". BBC Sport. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
  3. ^ Riccarton being the location of Hearts training ground, where the contentious press-conference took place.
  4. ^ "Pressley holds talks with union". BBC Sport. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
  5. ^ "Hearts 0–1 Rangers". BBC Sport. 19 November 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Ribovas promises Hearts return". BBC Sport. 21 November 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  7. ^ "Valdas Returns". Hearts F.C. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2006.
  8. ^ "Ivanauskas set for change of role". BBC Sport. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2007.
  9. ^ "FootballSquads - Heart of Midlothian - 2006/07". footballsquads.co.uk.
  10. ^ Tall was born in Aubervilliers, France, but also qualifies to represent Senegal internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Senegal in 2003.
  11. ^ Driver was born in Oldham, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and represented them at U-16 level before representing England at U-21 level in 2009.
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