Post by QPR Report on Jul 25, 2009 8:08:18 GMT
But hey we've got Biatore and Paladini 
Guardian/Ewan Murray
Avram Grant set to become director of sport at Hearts• Grant forges unlikely alliance with owner Vladimir Romanov
• Chelsea manager out of work since his dismissal
Hearts are poised to offer Avram Grant a return to football after the former Chelsea manager forged an unlikely alliance with the Scottish club's colourful Lithuanian owner, Vladimir Romanov. Grant, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea 14 months ago, has struck a close friendship with Romanov having been introduced to him by Roman Abramovich. The Chelsea owner and Romanov are firm allies on account of business dealings in the former Soviet Union.
Hearts are now attempting to piece together what a senior club figuretoday described as an "ideal scenario" where Grant replaces Anatoly Korobochka as director of sport at Tynecastle. Korobochka, who is set to take a job in Russia or Germany, left Hearts in midweek. Moves will now be made within the next fortnight to find Korobochka's successor, with Grant rapidly emerging as Romanov's preferred candidate. "It is premature to say he [Grant] will be employed," added the source. "But he and Mr Romanov will talk about it."
One sticking point will be Grant's salary demands, given that Romanov has implemented drastic cost-cutting in an attempt to balance the books at Hearts. It may be that the former Portsmouth director of football accepts an advisory role with Romanov's business, the Ukio Bankas Investment Group, with a wider remit; another source in Lithuania has revealed Grant has ambitions of moving into football club ownership.
Two other clubs, FBK Kaunas of Lithuania and the Belarussia team MTZ-Ripo, are also sponsored by Romanov's companies. Intriguingly, Romanov recently moved into the world of basketball ownership by taking over debt-ridden Zalgiris, based in Kaunas.
Grant is known to have visited Romanov in Lithuania several times in recent months, and he was present when the Hearts manager, Csaba Laszlo, visited for a meeting with the owner. Grant has attended Lithuanian football matches with Romanov and was also present in Hamburg as Hearts lost a pre-season match to St Pauli this month.
Romanov's hiring and firing of managers and backroom staff has proved a constant backdrop to his four years in charge of Hearts. Nine coaches have taken over, with Laszlo last season becoming the first to manage a full campaign in charge, guiding Hearts to third in the Scottish Premier League and the Europa League's final qualifying round. Romanov favours having a sporting director in place in order to supply a conduit between himself and the head coach.
Celtic, meanwhile, have urged fans to buy tickets for Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Moscow at the 60,000-seater Parkhead. It is understood 22,000 tickets have so far been sold, which marks Tony Mowbray's first competitive outing as manager.
Amid such a backdrop, Celtic have rejected an offer for the match to be shown on terrestrial television, and no Russian channel will show it either. A statement from Mowbray was released in a clear attempt to drum up interest.
"The support so far in pre-season has been fantastic," he said. "We have a hard game on Wednesday and I'm hoping the atmosphere of Celtic Park, and the fact our players have experienced it before, will take us through and allow us to produce a good performance to give us a chance to progress.
"It's my first match at Celtic Park as manager but I don't want to build it up as a special moment for just me. It's another game in the glorious history of Celtic Football Club and it's a challenge for us
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/24/avram-grant-hearts-scottish-premier-league
Guardian/Ewan Murray
Avram Grant set to become director of sport at Hearts• Grant forges unlikely alliance with owner Vladimir Romanov
• Chelsea manager out of work since his dismissal
Hearts are poised to offer Avram Grant a return to football after the former Chelsea manager forged an unlikely alliance with the Scottish club's colourful Lithuanian owner, Vladimir Romanov. Grant, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea 14 months ago, has struck a close friendship with Romanov having been introduced to him by Roman Abramovich. The Chelsea owner and Romanov are firm allies on account of business dealings in the former Soviet Union.
Hearts are now attempting to piece together what a senior club figuretoday described as an "ideal scenario" where Grant replaces Anatoly Korobochka as director of sport at Tynecastle. Korobochka, who is set to take a job in Russia or Germany, left Hearts in midweek. Moves will now be made within the next fortnight to find Korobochka's successor, with Grant rapidly emerging as Romanov's preferred candidate. "It is premature to say he [Grant] will be employed," added the source. "But he and Mr Romanov will talk about it."
One sticking point will be Grant's salary demands, given that Romanov has implemented drastic cost-cutting in an attempt to balance the books at Hearts. It may be that the former Portsmouth director of football accepts an advisory role with Romanov's business, the Ukio Bankas Investment Group, with a wider remit; another source in Lithuania has revealed Grant has ambitions of moving into football club ownership.
Two other clubs, FBK Kaunas of Lithuania and the Belarussia team MTZ-Ripo, are also sponsored by Romanov's companies. Intriguingly, Romanov recently moved into the world of basketball ownership by taking over debt-ridden Zalgiris, based in Kaunas.
Grant is known to have visited Romanov in Lithuania several times in recent months, and he was present when the Hearts manager, Csaba Laszlo, visited for a meeting with the owner. Grant has attended Lithuanian football matches with Romanov and was also present in Hamburg as Hearts lost a pre-season match to St Pauli this month.
Romanov's hiring and firing of managers and backroom staff has proved a constant backdrop to his four years in charge of Hearts. Nine coaches have taken over, with Laszlo last season becoming the first to manage a full campaign in charge, guiding Hearts to third in the Scottish Premier League and the Europa League's final qualifying round. Romanov favours having a sporting director in place in order to supply a conduit between himself and the head coach.
Celtic, meanwhile, have urged fans to buy tickets for Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Moscow at the 60,000-seater Parkhead. It is understood 22,000 tickets have so far been sold, which marks Tony Mowbray's first competitive outing as manager.
Amid such a backdrop, Celtic have rejected an offer for the match to be shown on terrestrial television, and no Russian channel will show it either. A statement from Mowbray was released in a clear attempt to drum up interest.
"The support so far in pre-season has been fantastic," he said. "We have a hard game on Wednesday and I'm hoping the atmosphere of Celtic Park, and the fact our players have experienced it before, will take us through and allow us to produce a good performance to give us a chance to progress.
"It's my first match at Celtic Park as manager but I don't want to build it up as a special moment for just me. It's another game in the glorious history of Celtic Football Club and it's a challenge for us
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/24/avram-grant-hearts-scottish-premier-league