Scottish Cup: Paulo Sergio cup pedigree

BETTERING the biggest and best in the country over the course of an entire season isn’t always possible but doing it often enough to win a knock-out tournament is. Paulo Sergio knows that from experience and will be banking on it this afternoon as he tries to take Hearts one step closer to silverware.

He was still a teenager when he got his first taste of success, when his less fashionable Belenenses triumphed over a triumvirate of Portuguese star outfits.

“It was a surprise, it was a massive win because during the competition to get to the final, we had to beat Sporting and had to beat Porto, and we beat Benfica in the final.” said the Tynecastle manager.

“It was a fantastic achievement in that season. We beat the three biggest teams in the country to win that cup, it was fantastic.”

He knows the legendary status bestowed on anyone who delivers silverware to Tynecastle but he refuses to look that far ahead. “I love to play the cups and it’s going to be a very important game for us.

“I am playing a semi-final, so I can’t talk about winning the cup. I would like to be in the final but being in the semi-final is already a very good achievement because of what has happened [at the club this season].”