Malofeev handed new job in Belarus

EDUARD Malofeev's brief and unproductive association with Hearts was formally ended yesterday when he was named as the new head coach of MTZ-Ripo Minsk, the Belarussian club controlled by Vladimir Romanov.

The 64-year-old former Soviet Union international forward has been repatriated to the capital by Hearts owner Romanov, just five months after he was brought to Scotland as the Tynecastle club's sporting director.
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In the increasingly bizarre changes to the management structure at Hearts, Malofeev was later recast as a consultant to head coach Valdas Ivanauskas, then became caretaker coach when Ivanauskas took a month's sick leave.

In his six games in charge of Hearts, Malofeev failed to oversee a single win, with the three defeats suffered under his command including the CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final exit against Hibs at Easter Road.

Malofeev was first employed by Romanov as head of youth development at MTZ-Ripo Minsk in 2005, before the Russian-born businessman moved him on to his Lithuanian club Kaunas as head coach in January this year. He takes over as head coach at MTZ-Ripo from Yuri Puntus, who was no longer able to combine the job with his role as manager of the Belarus national team.

"I am in the tenth sky with happiness," said the verbose Malofeev yesterday at a media conference to announce his appointment in Minsk.

"Vladimir asked me to act when Valdas was ill at Hearts, but then he returned and I went off to take a UEFA coaching course. I earlier asked Vladimir to give me work in my native republic and it is good to be back with my family.

"Without my wife with me in Scotland, it was difficult. I learned much there, however, and I became recognised in all stadiums."

The Belarus domestic campaign finished last month with MTZ-Ripo in third place in the championship. They will play in the UEFA Cup next season, adding to a potential source of difficulty for Romanov, whose interest in more than one club is being closely monitored by European football's governing body. Kaunas have qualified for the Champions League qualifying stages next season and it remains to be seen if Hearts can complete a full set of teams in Europe for Romanov.

Hearts maintained their silence yesterday over suspended captain Steven Pressley's situation at the club, although his former agent Gordon Smith insisted the defender would still like to stay at Tynecastle.

Smith, who negotiated what he and Pressley believed would be his final contract in 2004, said: "I know Steven has no intention of leaving Hearts, he wants to stay and that has always been the case. He saw his future with the club being long term when he signed his last deal and he even took a pay cut to make sure it happened.

"Now he has a situation that he needs to resolve with the club and what they say to him will ultimately determine which way this is going to go.

"If they tell him there is no future for him, then there is no point in him being there, it's as simple as that. Then he would have to leave the club during the January transfer window."

Mirsad Beslija, Hearts' Bosnian international winger, is likely to miss the club's festive programme of fixtures because of the knee injury he sustained in last week's reserve game against Falkirk.

However, it is now thought the damage is not as serious as first feared.

Taken from the Scotsman