KAUNAS CHIEF SET TO REIGN

HEARTS are set to name Egenijus Riabovas as their second caretaker boss in less than a month.

The FBK Kaunas coach was ordered back to Scotland last week and told to prepare to take over from stand-in Eduard Malofeev.

Riabovas watched the Hearts under-19 side defeat Inverurie Locos 3-0 at Tynecastle yesterday on the day his side clinched the Lithuanian championship by 21 points with a 4-0 win over Ekranas.

Riabovas missed the title celebrations in Kaunas after club owner Vladimir Romanov told him he was needed most in Scotland.

Riabovas spent the weekend assessing the squad in training at Riccarton as he prepares to step in for Malofeev, who is believed to be heading back to eastern Europe.

It's unclear when Malofeev is departing or for how long he will be away but it's believed he is heading home on football business, possibly relating to his lack of a UEFA coaching license.

Riabovas, who speaks only limited English, arrived in Scotland early last week and Hearts insisted he was only here to study coaching methods to improve his work at Kaunas.

But his role at the club will be much more high profile as probable long-term assistant to Malofeev, with doubts remaining about future of head coach Valdas Ivanauskas, who returned home three weeks ago with health worries.

It's understood Malofeev will still be on the bench for the visit to Falkirk this evening as the Jambos bid to leapfrog Rangers into second place in the SPL.

However, Riabov as will assume a more high-profile role soon - and Hearts players will have to adjust to the way of thinking of yet another coach.

Taken from the Daily Record