Play me against barcelona or you are fired

Former Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov demanded to be fielded against the Catalans in a pre-season clash, and Anatoly Korobochka's rejection riled him

It might be every football fan's dream to play against Barcelona but ex-Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov is alleged to have sacked his manager in 2007 for refusing to let him live out that lofty ambition.

The Scottish top flight side were being co-managed by Stephan Frail and Anatoly Korobochka during the club's pre-season as a glamour tie with the Catalans loomed.

Despite Romanov not having trained with the Scottish team or having any experience of professional football, Korobochka claims his former boss demanded to get his chance to line up against Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta and Co. at Murrayfield.

"We played Barcelona in a friendly match and there were almost 60,000 fans there," Korobochka told Edinburgh Evening News. "Ronaldinho was at his peak and Barcelona were terrific.

"Before the game, Romanov approached me and told me he wants to play in the game. He wanted me to pick him. He wasn’t joking.

"I refused and told him he had done no training and therefore he couldn’t play. He said to me: ‘Fine, but you will not be the coach for long.’ He sacked me soon after."

Goals from Ronaldinho and Giovani dos Santos in July 2007 gave Barca a 3-1 win over Hearts without Romanov, who sacked Korobochka as manager six months later in January 2008.

Lithuanian businessman Romanov began to take control of Hearts in late 2004 and stayed at the helm of the club until they exited administration last year, having been relegated to the second tier.

Hearts celebrated the end of their Romanov era by winning the Scottish Championship in 2014-15 and will play this coming season in the top flight, which starts this weekend.