Flogel may join Hearts exodus

THOMAS Flogel could be forced to leave Hearts to help ease the financial burden on the club.

The Austrian is one of a number of players out of contract at the end of the season and head coach Craig Levein may have to let players go.

The midfielder has expressed his desire to stay in Edinburgh, but he has had an offer to return to former club Austria Vienna.

He said: "I would like to stay and play another two or three years with Hearts, but there is also the possibility of going back to Austria for my family.

"I would prefer to stay in Scotland, but I have had negotiations with Austria Vienna and they have made an offer.

"I would like to stay with Hearts, but I cannot change some of the things that are happening financially here and I don’t want to put them under any more pressure. If they cannot come together with a contract for me, then I have to look somewhere else."

Meanwhile, Hibs manager Franck Sauzee is to ask Benfica player Jose Soares Feliciano back to Easter Road for a second trial spell after the Portuguese defender returned home.

The 26-year-old former Alverca centre-half arrived in Edinburgh last week, and he played in a bounce game against an Army side at the capital’s Redford Barracks yesterday - arranged to mark the return from duty of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots - but his action was cut short to just 50 minutes because of the poor state of the pitch.

Hibs also included Grant Brebner, Mathias Jack, Jarkko Wiss, Craig Brewster and Derek Townsley and ran out comfortable 7-0 winners.

No Scottish teams have entered next season’s Inter-Toto Cup.

Taken from the Scotsman