Scottish Premier League club Hearts have sacked manager Jim Jefferies and his assistant Billy Brown, according to reports on Monday.
Jefferies is believed to have left Tynecastle after being told he was to be moved into a director of football role to allow a new boss to be brought in.
The 60-year-old is said to have rejected the chance to stay on in that position, while Brown has been sacked with immediate effect.
Hearts are currently on a run of 11 games without a win, having picked up their last victory on March 19 against St Mirren, and lost 1-0 at home to Dundee United on Sunday.
Jefferies had returned to Hearts in 2010 after previously managing the club from 1995 to 2000 before leaving to take charge at English team Bradford City.
Hearts' first-team coach Gary Locke has reportedly been asked to take over on an interim basis while the Edinburgh club's controversial owner Vladimir Romanov appoints a new manager.
Leaving the ground following a players' meeting, Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson told Sky Sports News reporter: "We have to wait until tomorrow. I don't want to say anything."
Asked how much a blow it would be if Jefferies and Brown left, he replied: "It would obviously be a blow but we will need to just wait and see what happens."
Then, when asked about how difficult the situation was, he said: "We will just get on with it, that's what we are here for."
Source: AFP
