Stendel is103 set for the exit door at Hearts It’s impossible to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as there’s nothing on the table yet
DANIEL Stendel’s agent has offered the clearest indication yet that the German will not return to Hearts next season.
The Tynecastle board met on Thursday, with the future of the head coach one of the topics on the agenda.
As Sportsmail first revealed, Stendel’s contract only applies if Hearts remain in the Premiership.
And, with the club facing relegation if a final tilt at league reconstruction fails on Monday, agent Timo Rodewald admits his client has yet to receive any indication that owner Ann Budge wants him to stay if they go down.
‘We are still waiting for more information or some sort of proposal from Ann,’ said Rodewald.
‘If we now knew that: “Okay, it’s the Championship”, fine. If we had a starting date for the Championship, and if the club had a clear vision of how to proceed, fine.
‘If we knew when to start and what kind of football they want to play, and what is their three-year plan and what are the aims and goals of the directors, it would help.
‘If there was more clarity, then Daniel would say: “Okay, that sounds like a good project, let’s go for it”.
‘But, right now, we don’t have any of the aspects I just mentioned.
‘It’s impossible to say “yes” or “no” because there is no proposal on the table to look at. We can’t say “yes” or “no” to nothing.
‘It’s just about waiting and, of course, there is a small chance that they might still play in the Premiership next season.
‘If that happens we would still be under contract — so he is a little bit handicapped in terms of looking for other options. That makes it really difficult.’
The SPFL have asked Scotland’s 42 clubs to indicate by Monday whether they will vote in favour of a new permanent 14-team Premiership which would preserve the Gorgie club’s top-flight status.
Budge will speak to Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack over the weekend to try to break down his opposition to permanent reconstruction.
With Cormack close to Hibs owner Ron Gordon and Dundee United’s Mark Ogren, SPFL sources fear the Americanbased contingent could wreck the plans, while Roy MacGregor of Ross County and one or two Championship clubs are also in need of some convincing.
Expressing his concern that the whole reconstruction debate is merely the SPFL laying the foundations to fight any legal action from Hearts, Rodewald added: ‘We don’t have any timescale for when this will become clear.
‘Ann told me that she has the feeling that the SPFL is just postponing and postponing to reduce the chances of Hearts winning any award of court.
‘In France, a court blocked the relegation (of Toulouse and Amiens from Ligue 1) and Ann will probably go to court.
‘But the question is about the timing. It might take two to three months and, by then, the new season has started already. That is not helpful to Daniel.’
Meanwhile, Hearts have moved to secure coaches Andy Kirk and Paul Gallacher on new deals.
Kirk said: ‘It’s great to get the extension. Obviously, the times we’re in aren’t great for everybody so having that security is a good thing.
‘More importantly, though, it’s a contract extension at a football club where I love to work and where I want to be. That’s the most pleasing side of it.
‘We are all desperate to get back as soon as possible and hopefully that’ll be soon.’