Hearts assistant Jorg Sievers reveals he's taken 50 per cent wage cut

Jorg Sievers has become the latest high-profile Hearts employee to accept the club’s 50 per cent wage-cut offer.

The assistant to manager Daniel Stendel is currently back home in Germany after the suspension of the Scottish football season due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He follows in the footsteps of captain Steven Naismith, who announced on Sunday night that he too would be accepting the wage cut.

Owner Ann Budge made the offer to all members of staff in order to ward off a financial meltdown at the club. Everyone has the option to take the offer or agree to cancel their contracts without pay.

Manager Daniel Stendel has offered to work for free, while Clevid Dikamona asked for his deal to be cut short so he could return to France to be with his family, though the defender wishes to return to Tynecastle once football has started back up again.

Sievers understood the club’s reasoning for the wage cut and that’s ultimately why he chose to accept.

He said: “The salary cut wasn’t based on an arbitrary action. The club had to do whatever is possible. I completely understand why and ultimately, we are normal employees too.

“Of course everyone here wants us to complete the season and I think the postponement of Euro 2020 gives us some breathing space.

“Although people were nervous in Scotland, the football shutdown in Scotland initially came as a surprise because the virus had not yet arrived.

“I flew home to Wenningsen and expected to be back in Edinburgh three days later. But now I just have to wait until the situation gets better. There’s nothing else I can do.”