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New Hearts boss Daniel Stendel has vowed to fight for his rights after insisting he was sacked "with immediate effect" by former employers Barnsley.
Stendel was axed by Barnsley back in October following a run of 10 games without a win but the club insisted this week they had yet to agree a severance deal with the German, who they also accused of breaching his contract by holding talks with a rival Sky Bet Championship club.
The Tykes have tried to negotiate a settlement with Hearts for the services of Stendel and his assistants Chris Stern and Dale Tonge but said they had been unable to do so.
The Oakwell outfit said at the time of Stendel's exit they had "separated" from Stendel "with immediate effect" and that is how the new Gorgie boss recalls the matter.
The 45-year-old – who will hold his first press conference since taking up the Hearts post on Tuesday afternoon – said on his Facebook account: "I want to respond to the statement of FC Barnsley. I experienced the people in Barnsley as honest and straightforward and therefore would like to present my point of view.
"During my entire time at Barnsley I gave my full commitment, energy and passion for the club and their supporters.
"I always put the sporting results of Barnsley first and always tried to achieve the very best results that were possible. We had a fantastic last season in League One, securing promotion to the Championship, playing some very entertaining football.
"The start to this season was very difficult though, with the club being unable to retain several key players from the promotion team and couldn't replace these experienced players.
"I always remained committed and accepted all the decisions of the board during my entire time – including the decision to terminate my contract with immediate effect. At the day of my dismissal I wasn't informed about any detailed reasons.
"The week before my dismissal I asked for an open discussion about the sporting situation with a board member, during which none of the reasons that apparently led to my dismissal were raised as complaints.
"I was always honest and documented strongly that I wanted to continue to work with the team in order to achieve the goals of the club. I was then dismissed after the disappointing defeat to Preston.
"After the termination of my contract, I have made it clear that even then I was open to finding an amicable resolution in order to keep noise away from the team.
"I am an honest person and always wanted the best for the club. The people from Barnsley and the fans know that. I always was a fighter on and also next to the pitch and will also now fight for my rights."
