Hibs: Jack Ross explains why he wants Hearts to avoid relegation amid coronavirus uncertainty

Easter Road head coach hopes rivals stay up
Jack Ross hopes Hearts avoid the drop - for Edinburgh derby reasonsJack Ross hopes Hearts avoid the drop - for Edinburgh derby reasons
Jack Ross hopes Hearts avoid the drop - for Edinburgh derby reasons

Hibs head coach Jack Ross is hopeful that Hearts avoid relegation – because the Easter Road boss would miss the Edinburgh derby matches.

The Tynecastle Park club are currently propping up the rest of the Scottish Premiership and if final positions are called, could drop into Scottish football’s second tier for the second time in six years.

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But Ross has admitted that he would miss the local rivalry if Daniel Stendel’s side drop down a division.

Speaking on BT Sport, the former Sunderland manager said: “When either club has found themselves out of the Premiership, I think the fixtures are missed.

"Selfishly, we would probably want them to continue, but the greater priority is ensuring we still have every club around when we get back to playing."

‘Views change’

Ross initially wanted the 2019/20 campaign to be played to a conclusion but has since changed his view.

He added “When we initially had the shutdown my overwhelming preference was to finish the season.

“We still had a lot to play for and I think that would have been every player, manager and coach’s preference.

“As time has gone on and we have understood the potential challenges of that happening, views change.”

The ex-St Mirren boss now hopes that all SPFL clubs survive the hiatus and can take part in the resumption of football in Scotland.

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He continued: “The one thing we need to make sure of is that when we come out the other side of this, we still have the 42 professional clubs here.

"A big part of that is probably the prize money that gets paid out depending on where clubs finish in the respective decisions.

"That can't happen until the season is concluded, so that's probably the biggest challenge that lies ahead."

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