Robbie Neilson exits as Hearts manager after slump in form
- Published
Watch Neilson's last interview as Hearts manager
Hearts have made the "extremely difficult decision" to part company with manager Robbie Neilson.
The Edinburgh side have dropped to fourth in the Scottish Premiership following a run of five defeats in the past six league games.
Neilson, 42, returned to Tynecastle in June 2020, having first been in charge from May 2014 to November 2016.
He twice steered Hearts back to the top flight as Championship winners, while he secured third place last term.
Hearts were Scottish Cup runners-up under Neilson last term and in the delayed 2020 final.
A statement read: "Robbie has been a key part of the club's ascent back to the upper echelons of Scottish football, delivering another Championship title, a third-place finish, a Scottish Cup final and European group stage football.
"This was an extremely difficult decision to reach, and we would like to thank Robbie for all of his efforts.
"A full statement from the board of directors will be released in due course."
'Inevitable outcome for many Hearts fans' - analysis
BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin
The sacking of Neilson may come as a surprise to outsiders, but to many Hearts fans it was an inevitable outcome after a quite horrendous run.
To lose five games on the bounce at this stage of the season with a lucrative European spot up for grabs has tipped the board into making this reluctant decision, but for a lot of supporters this was the only call to make.
The financial rewards of finishing third are huge, with the Tynecastle club earning around £5m this season for their exploits in the Europa League qualifiers and Conference League.
It looked like third place was home and hosed for Hearts again just a few weeks ago.
Watch the defeat that ended Neilson's Hearts reign
There is no doubt Neilson has been blighted this season by injuries to key players at crucial times. Craig Halkett, Beni Beningme, Liam Boyce, Craig Gordon, Kye Rowles, Stephen Kingsley and Peter Haring have all been missing for lengthy spells.
And this places more of a focus on recruitment. The January loans of James Hill and Garang Kuol have simply not worked.
Add to this the signings of Orestis Kiomortzoglu and Yutara Oda - two players the club paid substantial fees for but have yet to make any positive impact.
This summer will be a critical time for everyone involved at Hearts. The budget should have been more than enough to ensure third place.
It may well still be, but whoever takes over will be left in no doubt what the minimum requirements is.
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