Vladimir Romanov says he wanted to bring in a European coach to help Jim Jefferies

VLADIMIR Romanov has revealed that he told Jim Jefferies that he intended to bring a European coach to Tynecastle weeks ago, and claimed the former Hearts manager - who was "removed" from the club this week - had rejected his offer of help.

Romanov insisted he wanted a coach to provide support to Jefferies, and had no plan to sack him. In an interview with BBC Scotland on the banks of Loch Ness, where Romanov had visited for a swim prior to last night's Europa League match with Paksi at Tynecastle, the owner of the Gorgie outfit said he had to take steps to remedy "terrible" football at the club.

"We have offered him a number of times to find someone who has some European expertise and knowledge," said Hearts' Russian-born owner, speaking through an interpreter.

"We were not looking to replace anyone with this. We were looking to help." Jefferies was replaced this week by former Sporting Lisbon coach Paulo Sergio, while his assistant Billy Brown was sacked.

Romanov said the decision had been results-driven, following a poor end to last season, which saw the club go 15 matches without a win.

"I understand that local people, local managers have a local mentality and are under the influence of various local things," added Romanov. "I've decided to try to go with a European manager." Romanov, who offered Jefferies a director of football post which the outgoing manager declined, added: "Getting to Europe is a big achievement and obviously we are grateful to Jim for that. It was very good to work with him. We had a good understanding.

"It was a hard time, but when I think about the situation and the last 15 games, there is not a lot of achievement and not a lot of good results." Reports yesterday suggested that Romanov had been unhappy that Hearts were still seemingly not strong enough to mount a robust title challenge, but he insisted that progress rather than the club's position in the SPL, is currently his primary concern.

He said: "We have fantastic players like Rudi Skacel and Mehdi Taouil, who are capable of igniting the game. When I see that they are not able to do that, I see that there is no progress. The game is not an attractive game."

The Hearts owner issued statement on Wednesday in which he attacked the Scottish media, branding journalists as "monkeys", and he expanded on the theme in yesterday's interview.

"They are trying to expose us a fools, but that is not the case," said Romanov. "We are trying to make a change for the positive.

"The press overall is not doing its function of providing information, they are providing someone else's opinion When the information is fed purposely to form an opinion that is not true, that is like a criminal. For me it is the same criminal activity.

"Even to compare it with the war. The war is also bad thing, but sometimes the war mobilises people and strengthens certain things."

Earlier, Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas had also said that Jefferies was told at the end of last season he needed to add an experienced European coach to his management team.

Speaking on the club's website, Fedotovas also said that the man brought in this week as his replacement, Paulo Sergio, had been given the goal of making Hearts the best team in Scotland. "At the end of last season we suggested [Jefferies] strengthen his management team with an experienced European coach who could bring a new angle of expertise," Fedotovas said on www.heartsfc.co.uk.

"I believe he did not think this was necessary, as this did not happen.

"Last season we had some spells when we achieved great results, but the final run of games was not satisfying."