How Hearts triumphed in 2012 despite a 'hands-off Vlad' backdrop
Mention the 2011-12 season to any Hearts fan, and you'll be greeted by a smile.For most, the Scottish Cup win will be the first thought that comes to mind. It was the stuff of dreams, and something which was even more unimaginable, given the backdrop the squad succeeded from.This was the the year the Bank of Vlad appeared bolted up and closed to the players and staff of Heart of Midlothian. This was the season the wages really did stop coming.Thanks, in part, to the sympathetic and supportive approach of then-manager Paulo Sergio, the Hearts team of that season were at least able to function.Against all odds, they made it to the Scottish Cup final, and found themselves up against familiar opponents and local fierce rivals, Hibernian. An all-Edinburgh Cup final was a game Scottish football had waited more than a century to see. It was a match destined to etch itself into the history books."I remember interviewing Vladimir on the Friday night before the final," BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin told Romanov: Czar of Hearts."He was dressed in his kilt, ready for the game. This was a huge event for Vladimir Romanov, and I do remember him saying to me, 'this is our time'."For the players, the Scottish Cup final was more than just a game. It was a chance to transform an already unforgettable season into a historic one. For a better reason.Winning the Scottish Cup would bring glory, but getting one over on Hibs at the national stadium would elevate them to legendary status in Gorgie.As if Hearts supporters need reminded, it finished 5-1 to the Jambos.With that incredible victory over the Easter Road club, Romanov had delivered his second Scottish Cup in six years, cementing his status as the most successful Hearts owner of the modern era. In the past, a cup win such as this might have been put down to the impenetrable machinations by Romanov. But not this season.This cup was won by the manager, by the players, and the staff at Tynecastle, who carried on regardless of Romanov's shenanigans.So, just how did they do it?"The togetherness. I think that was the secret," Sergio added. "Everybody helping around with our equipment, the medical staff, and the people that were there every morning, every day, I think that was the secret. "The players, they deserved all the credit."Credit they got, and still get, but the Scottish Cup win didn't put credit in the bank.The debt didn't go away. The chaos continued. And Vlad was, once again, was nowhere to be seen.And then, the inevitable happened...
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