FBK Kaunas to Hearts

Loan moves from Lithuanian football club FBK Kaunas and Scottish Premier League club Hearts have proven controversial in Scottish footballing circles, as both clubs are at least in part owned by businessman Vladimir Romanov and the comparatively large number of such loans is seen as a bending of the rules in some quarters.

Loan Types

Type 1 Loans

These loans take two forms. In the first, players are signed by Kaunas, but have been immediately transferred to Hearts on loan, without playing for Kaunus at all. Examples of this in the current Hearts squad include:

• Jose Goncalves

Former FC Thun defender Goncalves joined Hearts in January 2006 on loan, after joining the Lithuanian champions.

• Bruno Aguiar

Portuguese star Aguiar was transferred to Kaunas in January 2006 from Portuguese high-flyers Benfica, before he moved to Scotland.

• Edgaras Jankauskas

At the same time, FC Porto had allowed Lithuanian striker Jankauskas to move to the Lithuanian club, and he also immediately moved to the SPL side on loan, in 2004.

• Roman Bednar

Czech striker Roman Bednar is the only player signed on loan from Kaunus (for whom he never played) to have gone on to sign a full permanent contract with Hearts, although Rudi Skacel briefly signed permanently after a loan spell from Marseille, only to be immediately be sold to Southampton.

Type 2 Loans

The second type of loan involves players already on Kaunus' books being rewarded for good performances by getting loan moves to the bigger Scottish Premier League with Hearts.

Current Examples include:

• Saulius Mikoliunas

Young Lithuanian international winger Mikoliunas was one of the very first players to make a loan move to Hearts, in 2004.

• Deividas Česnauskis

In 2005, Česnauskis was also loaned to the Scottish club.

• Nerijus Barasa

Right-back Barasa barely featured for Hearts in the immediate aftermath of his loan move, but played from the start of a match against Rangers in the final game of the SPL season in 2006 and has been a first choice consequently.

2006 Summer Transfer Market

Marius Zaliukas and Andrius Velicka were both added on loan from Kaunus in the summer of 2006.

2007 January Transfer Market

Polish striker Arkadiusz Klimek and goalkeeper Eduardas Kurskis joined the club on loan in the January 2007 transfer window.

Towards the end of transfer window, Tomas Kancelskis, goalkeeper Arnas Lekevicius and Linas Pilibaitis all joined from the Lithuanian club, along with Terek Grozny winger Laryea Kingston. Ghanaian internationalist Kingston is also a loan signing, although it has been reported that this is with a view to a permanent move in the summer.

Fan Reaction

While the presence of Lithuanian loan players in the Hearts first team has been viewed with occasional asperity by Hearts' fans and has caused some of those players to be booed by the Hearts' support[1], Kaunus fans too have begun to voice their disapproval of their club being treated like a feeder club for the Scottish team. [2]