Hearts Bersiap Hadapi Laga Krusial Penentu Juara Liga Skotlandia

Perebutan trofi Liga Utama Skotlandia memasuki fase krusial pada Sabtu, 16 Mei 2026, setelah Heart of Midlothian tertahan imbang oleh Motherwell sehingga penentuan gelar juara harus bergulir hingga pekan pamungkas kompetisi.

Manajer Heart of Midlothian, Derek McInnes, menyatakan kesiapan penuh skuatnya untuk bertarung habis-habisan demi mengakhiri puasa gelar domestik selama 66 tahun terakhir. Kendati demikian, Hearts menghadapi tantangan berat lantaran dipastikan kehilangan dua pemain pilar yang mengalami cedera serius pada bagian tendon Achilles.

Situasi ini juga memicu aksi unik dari sponsor perjalanan loveholidays yang memasang papan iklan di luar Stadion Celtic Park untuk menawarkan liburan mewah bagi suporter Celtic yang bersedia merelakan tiket mereka, demi menyiasati keterbatasan kuota suporter tandang Hearts yang hanya mendapat 752 kursi.

"I’ve just assumed Celtic are going to win their game, I’ve had it in my head that we’re going to the last game and I’m prepared for that. Listen, there’s no easy games for anybody, nothing’s straightforward. Motherwell are a more than capable team. They were fully committed against us and I’m sure that’ll be the same again against Celtic. We have been trying to hold off a couple of heavyweights for a long time now. We’ve managed to see off Rangers and we’ve got to try and see off Celtic over the next two games. I think the facts show we’re coping brilliantly. We’ve already broken a club record in terms of points tally and we’ve got a Champions League qualifier already secured, but obviously we want to try and go one better now and win the league." ujar Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

McInnes menilai atmosfer di Stadion Tynecastle Park akan menjadi momen sejarah yang sangat berharga bagi para pendukung klub.

"It’s nice to be able to hear ‘Hearts could win the league at Tynecastle,’" kata Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

Walau kubu lawan mengantongi modal impresif berupa lima kemenangan beruntun, jajaran tim Hearts tetap berpikiran positif untuk mengejar target poin yang dibutuhkan.

"I don’t know how many people have been able to say that in their lifetime. The likelihood is we are going to have to win two games or certainly pick up four points." imbuh Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

Sebelumnya, ketegangan sempat terjadi ketika sang manajer melayangkan protes keras terkait kepemimpinan wasit Steven McLean dalam laga kontra Motherwell di Stadion Fir Park.

"Derek McInnes questioned Steven McLean's decision not to award Heart of Midlothian a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Motherwell, as he revealed two key players have suffered Achilles injuries." ujar Derek McInnes, Manajer Heart of Midlothian.

Dukungan moral bagi skuat berjuluk para pemain berkaos marun ini ditegaskan oleh Kepala Pemasaran loveholidays, Al Murray, yang menyatakan komitmen panjang perusahaan bersama klub.

"We’ve been together with Hearts for the last three seasons, and what the club and its fans are on the brink of achieving is historic. Supporting the underdog is in loveholidays’ DNA, so backing Hearts at a time like this was an easy decision. We’re proudly fully behind the maroon machine." kata Al Murray, Kepala Pemasaran loveholidays.

Di sisi lain, persiapan laga ini juga diwarnai oleh spekulasi masa depan manajer Motherwell, Jens Berthel Askou, yang tengah dikaitkan dengan klub asal Prancis, Toulouse.

"I would much rather speak about the game, so the answer will be very short, or as short as I can give it," kata Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Askou menganggap rumor ketertarikan klub luar tersebut sebagai bentuk apresiasi positif atas performa solid yang ditunjukkan oleh anak asuhnya sepanjang kompetisi.

"There has been many things written about this wonderful football club and what we have achieved, and also speculation and links about me and especially a lot of the players, which I all take as a positive sign that we are doing something right. That's all I can comment on or want to comment about that." jelas Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Bagi Askou, pertandingan melawan juara bertahan Celtic memiliki atmosfer yang sangat penting dan setara dengan laga final bagi perjalanan timnya musim ini.

"We are here to play a football game, a very, very important football game for us, and that's really exciting. Look, we missed out on an opportunity to go to Hampden because we weren't there on the night against St Mirren and play a final, then we missed a good opportunity as the draw turned out in the Scottish Cup to maybe go further because everything that could go wrong went wrong at Aberdeen that night. And this is kind of the closest we get to playing a final this season, so we are extremely excited about that." tutur Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Rangkaian pertandingan krusial di papan atas Liga Utama Skotlandia ini dijadwalkan bakal berlangsung secara serentak di beberapa stadion utama.