Ann Budge remembers European competition
Football - Scotland - Gordon Strachan Press Conference - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland - 15/1/13 New Scotland manager Gordon Strachan poses with with Scottish Football Association Chief Executive Stewart Regan (L) and Scottish Football Association President Campbell Ogilvie (R) after the press conference Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Graham Stuart Livepic
Ann Budge wants Craig Levein to take Hearts back into Europe- after being denied a place this season due to complying with FFP regulations.
Unaudited accounts from Sevco that projected fanciful figures for profit were enough for the SFA to produce a UEFA licence with Pedro Caixinha’s side getting knocked out of Europe by Progres Niederkorn.
Since getting a CVA to come out of administration Hearts have played by the book, honoured their agreed debts and kept their spending within guidelines to produce audited accounts.
Explaining her ambitions for the new Hearts coach she told the Daily Record: “We haven’t downgraded our objectives. We know it’s tougher than it was when we set out our plans but we need to see progress. Obviously, we still want to finish in the top three or four.
“Crucial to that will be: ‘Can we hang on in there until November’? Because we’ve then got a run of nine home games at Tynecastle.
“I can remember Craig’s achievements here last time around. I went on various European trips as a fan when Craig was manager. It was a brilliant period for all of us.”
Had Hearts questioned the SFA on FFP licensing they could have been in this season’s Europa League
Regardless of Ian Cathro’s management ability a place in Europe opens up playing and financial ambitions for Hearts.
A place in the group stage of the Europa League would have been unlikely but extra co-efficient points would have helped whenever they next qualify to play in a UEFA competition.