Former Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is having legal talks with his old club, after the postponement of an employment tribunal which was due to begin this week.
Mr Laszlo, 46, was launching a claim in respect of unfair dismissal and breach of contract, which led to the termination of his job earlier this year.
The anticipated four-day hearing is now on hold while lawyers try to resolve the issue. They are said to be using an external party to help them reach agreement. When Mr Laszlo lodged his complaint in March, a spokesman for the Edinburgh club said that they had every right to sack him and intended to see the tribunal through.
The Hungarian was sacked by Hearts on January 29 and replaced by former boss Jim Jefferies – but he still had 18 months left to run on his contract. He was in charge at Hearts for 18 months, the longest serving coach under current club owner Vladimir Romanov.
Mr Laszlo led the team to third place in the Scottish Premier League (SPL), was named Manager of the Year 2008/09 and also picked up the title of Manager of the Year in his homeland of Hungary, during the 2003/04 season.
Things began to sour following speculation about tactical disagreements, signing priorities, and managerial ambitions, and just a month after his sacking, he spoke out about taking legal action.
He told reporters: “When I spoke to Romanov, he briefly told me he was terminating my contract. He didn’t even give a reason. No justification, he said he didn’t have to. My contract was completely clear.
“I have instructed my lawyer to look at it and it’s clear my contract has been broken. It is specified on it that if they break the deal, they will have financial obligations imposed. I wanted to keep my private contract details to myself.
“I refused to speak to journalists because I expected the club to honour their commitments. But that did not happen and, in the last few days, I have had to take the matter further.”
The hearing has been postponed for up to four weeks, giving both parties the chance to agree a settlement. The employment tribunal service is waiting to hear from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to see if an agreement can be reached.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club refused to comment.
