Levein leaves Hearts
Friday, October 29, 2004
Article summary
Craig Levein has left UEFA Cup contenders Heart of Midlothian FC and is set to join Leicester City FC.
Article body
English ambitions
Unqualified success
Levein, a former Scottish international and Hearts player, has been an unqualified success with the Edinburgh-based side despite operating in financially difficult times. He has trimmed almost €4.3m off the Hearts wage bill since he took over in December 2000, yet on the field his team has not let the standards drop.
Impressive rise
Hearts have finished third behind Rangers FC and Celtic FC in the past two seasons and this year Levein guided the Edinburgh club into the group stage of the UEFA Cup. They lost their opening Group A match away to Feyenoord 3-0 last week and are at home to FC Schalke 04 next Thursday.
Hearts compensated
Hearts will receive compensation in the region of €215,000 from Leicester for the loss of Levein, who still had 18 months of his Tynecastle contract to run. Levein is expected to watch Leicester in Saturday's Championship match against Cardiff City FC and assume full control from caretaker managers Dave Bassett and Howard Wilkinson for Tuesday's game against Crewe Alexandra FC.
