Pinilla parting shot for Hearts

Released striker accuses Romanov of contract changes

Last updated: 2nd July 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Pinilla parting shot for Hearts

Pinilla: Disappointed to leave

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Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla has accused Hearts of a last-minute about-turn on his contract after being released by the Scottish Premier League side.

Pinilla agreed a new three-year deal with Hearts last season, but club owner Vladimir Romanov activated a break clause before the contract's 30th June deadline after the two parties could not settle on terms.

And Pinilla has accused Romanov of slashing an initial salary agreement and has revealed that Hearts also wanted to appoint a diet consultant to monitor his eating habits.

Pinilla - who played only eight games for Hearts after joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2006 - struggled with fitness problems in his time at Tynecastle and, having overcome those setbacks, the 24-year-old feels let down by Romanov.

Eleventh hour

"Everything had been going well for me. I had spoken with Hearts' directors and the owner wanted to double my salary," Pinilla said in the Daily Record.

"But then the official concerned with players' contracts turned up at our training camp in Lithuania. I read my documents and saw that important changes had been made.

"They were now offering me just 25 per cent of what we agreed and they would see about the rest during the season.

"Had they put this to me from the outset then fair enough but instead they did it at the eleventh hour. I was not prepared to play for them under such conditions.

Offers

"They also wanted me to live with a guy a bit like a personal trainer. He would be a diet policeman who would inspect what I had to eat from breakfast all the way through to dinner."

Pinilla, though, claims he has already received offers from other interested clubs and insists he holds ho grudge against Hearts.

"I feel calm as I have offers from clubs in Italy, Portugal, Mexico and Argentina," Pinilla added.

"I wanted to be a part of the Hearts side next season and I have no ill feeling towards anyone at the club."