ROMANOV BETRAYED ME AFTER HAMPDEN GLORY IN 2012, SAYS SERGIO

FOR many Hearts fans, May 19, 2012, remains the finest day in the modern history of the Tynecastle club. While the Scottish Cup win over Rangers in 1998 ended a 36-year wait for a major trophy, the triumph 14 years later proved even more delicious as bitter rivals Hibernian were truly ground into the dirt.

In the most high-profile Edinburgh derby of all time, Hearts ran out thumping 5-1 winners at Hampden Park.

So one-sided was the victory that the club’s fans still sing about Hibs being lucky not to concede ten.

And as Hibs made it 110 years without lifting the old trophy, their hapless manager was sent off for making an obscene gesture at the Hearts fans as they mocked him with chants of: ‘There’s only one Pat Fenlon.’

For the victorious manager, Paulo Sergio, it was the proudest moment of his long managerial career, achieved against a backdrop of financial turmoil that required almost constant fire-fighting behind the scenes in Gorgie.

But as Hearts fans hailed their idol for delivering that day of days, attaching his name to smash hit Give It Up by KC and the Sunshine Band, little did they realise what owner Vladimir Romanov had in store for the Portuguese manager.

‘That cup final win is part of the history of Hearts but a lot of people forget just how tough it was that season,’ said Sergio.

‘People say we only finished fifth in the league that season but no one remembers that in December we were third and fighting with Rangers, but we had to sell four or five players because we needed the money.

‘So we rebuilt with younger players and we did a fantastic job all together in finishing the season with a cup win. There’s no doubt about it — it’s the proudest moment of my career.

‘That season was very tough for us and we struggled with a lot of issues. But I never once thought about quitting because I am not a quitter. It’s not how I was brought up. I could never turn my back on my players just to save my own neck.

‘In all that time, I did nothing to find another job because I was speaking with the people in the club who had been promising me a renewal of my deal that would allow me to stay for another two or three years.

‘I was very, very happy about that but after the cup final when we sat around the table, they were offering me less than half of what I had been earning before.

‘Those were the conditions and in that moment I felt like I had been betrayed.

‘I had done nothing to find a new job and here we were already at a stage of the year when the best jobs had gone, so I could not move on to a good job. I felt I was betrayed by those people.’

For Sergio, another slap in the face followed last summer when he applied for a second stint at the Hearts post after head coach Ian Cathro was sacked.

It seems curious that his role in Tynecastle history was not enough to afford him the courtesy of a reply as the job went to Hearts director of football, Craig Levein.

‘I applied for the job last summer,’ confirmed Sergio. ‘In that moment, the job was vacant. It seemed that way — but in the end it wasn’t. We didn’t speak but that’s over now. Craig (Levein) is there and he is a coach I support.’

Despite those two snubs stretching across five years, Sergio retains a close affinity with Hearts and considers himself part of the rank and file.

He revealed he sold the maroon cardigan he often wore in the dugout to raise money for the club’s foundation. The last time Snow better feeling: Sergio with the Cup yesterday, a trophy he so famously won in 2012 when Hearts beat Hibs he visited Tynecastle, the Hearts fans belted out his song once again. It will doubtless be the same when he returns to the Gorgie ground for Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie against Neil Lennon’s Hibs.

‘For me, the positives of my time at Hearts will always stay strong in my heart,’ said Sergio, who is out of work since leaving Iranian side Foolad last year.

‘The last time I was here and the fans were singing my song, I wanted to cry.

‘It was very, very emotional for me. Sometimes my friends go out for beers and they start singing that song and send the video clip to my mobile phone.

‘I gave my maroon cardigan away for auction and it raised £5,000 for the Foundation of Hearts. It was unbelievable. I only paid £30 for it when I bought it in Edinburgh. They sent me it back over and I signed it and returned it. I was happy to do that.

‘Edinburgh is a place where I feel really comfortable. Even in the moments when I’m completely alone, walking the streets, I don’t know what it is but I feel I am part of this football club.

‘I still follow the club. I read about Hearts in the newspapers and on social media.

‘I don’t want to say I am a legend but I am proud to be one of them. I’m proud to support Hearts like everyone else — like the common people who are there in the stands every week.

‘It’s great. I just have to say thanks because I really appreciate the way everyone treats me here. It’s such a fantastic feeling anytime I return to Scotland.

‘I hope one day I can return. Managing Hearts again would be a dream but if something else comes up (in Scotland) that would be a good plan for my life and my job, then I would have to consider it.’

Paulo Sergio was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.