Attention! Hearts announce starter's exit before Benfica clash | OneFootball

Hearts have officially announced the departure of Alexandros Kyziridis, the Greek winger who started against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz in the first leg of the European tie. The 25-year-old will join Çorum FK, newly promoted to the Turkish top flight, in a deal worth almost €2 million. The transfer comes just one season after he arrived at the Scottish club on a free transfer from Zemplín Michalovce.

The departure of the Greek international - Vangelis Pavlidis's compatriot - could, however, open a door that had already been anticipated within Wouter Vrancken's squad. Roger Mato, a 22-year-old Ugandan winger, now emerges as one of the candidates to fill the gap left by the former starter, despite not having been registered for the tie against Benfica. The player says he has been receiving positive signs from the coach and believes he can earn a more prominent role.

The winger also gained confidence after the 4-0 win over Dundee United last Sunday, a match in which he came on as a substitute and made a good impression. At the end of the game, Mato revealed that he received a particularly encouraging message from the coach. "It's a bit strange to hear a coach ask you to make more mistakes, but what I take from that is that he believes in me. He trusts me", explained the Uganda international.

Kyziridis's departure therefore represents a significant change in the attacking options of the Edinburgh side, especially considering the importance the Greek player had last season. In 45 matches, the winger scored six goals and provided 11 assists, making him one of the team's main attacking references.

Benfica return to action this Thursday, August 13, against Hearts. The match, the second leg of the Europa League third qualifying round against Wouter Vrancken's side, will kick off at 7:45 pm at Tynecastle Park.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.