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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
Sport
Ben Banks

Craig Levein disappointed with Hearts loss against Fiorentina as he rues prediction coming true

Craig Levein is gutted that his prediction that Hearts wouldn't have success against Fiorentina came true.

The former Jambos boss watched on at Tynecastle as Robbie Neilson's side were defeated easily by their Serie A foes in Europa Conference League Group A. They travel to Florence next week in third place, a point behind the Italian club, knowing a win puts them in a good position for qualification out of a group that also includes Turkey's Istanbul Basaksehir and RFS of Latvia.

For Levein though, he doesn't think Hearts got anywhere near their midweek opponents, and instead allowed them to do as they please on their visit to Edinburgh. He told Sportsound: "Any team can beat any other team on any given evening. The thing that's annoyed me about Hearts is they didn't give themselves a chance of winning. They never laid a glove.

READ MORE: Hearts' Cammy Devlin sent 'really like him' message by Rangers boss van Bronckhorst after red card

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"You have also got to look at the back line and the players that they have gone missing defensively. Okay they've got arguably the best goalkeeper in the league still but I mean in front of them they have got a group of players in front of them what are cobbled together in all honesty.

"That's why I didn't fancy Hearts because I thought defensively they wouldn't be good enough. The biggest disappointment for me was there wasn't a finger laid on Fiorentina.

"Before the game I said they needed to make it as uncomfortable evening as possible for Fiorentina hey made it the best evening possible for Fiorentina. This was almost like 'welcome into my house take anything you want'."

READ MORE:

- Three things we learned as Hearts suffer bruising Rangers collapse and rue Cammy Devlin red

- Hearts star Craig Gordon heaps praise on Ryan Porteous as he aims to remain Scotland No1 for years

- Hibs and Hearts to battle it out for Women's Capital Cup with fans able to attend for free

- Hartlepool chairman in 'didn't know' Paul Hartley admission after axing former Hearts and Hibs star

- Hearts injury latest on Craig Halkett, Kye Rowles and Lewis Neilson as Robbie Neilson gives update

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