Hearts failed to respond, prompting home fans into chants against controversial owner Vladimir Romanov.
Authorities allege he even changes his names, using the aliases Eric Newman or Vladimir Romanov.
We don't know, because there's never been clarity around the financial strings pulled by Romanov.
Romanov, in a BBC Frontline Scotland documentary on Wednesday, explains his controversial removal of the trio.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Romanov lashes out at sacked trio
The trappings of the imperial era and even of the Romanov dynasty are increasingly in evidence.
Romanov says this is because the club management feel they can no longer rely on the player.
He was dropped from the first-team and he and his agent attracted criticism from Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov.
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Rix left Hearts last March after a disagreement with Vladimir Romanov over the majority shareholder's meddling in team selection.
Meanwhile, Kaunas are to be managed by Andrei Zygmantovitch, presently coach of another club sponsored by Romanov, MTZ-RIPO Minsk.
"None of about 10 candidates we considered was suitable for Hearts, " added Romanov.
Several dozen other Romanov scions may attend the St Petersburg event, but they belong to a rival branch of the family.
It's been on the market for a long time, but Romanov hasn't found the buyer he needs to limit his losses.
Foulkes insisted that Romanov had been consulted about the appointment but that the board had also been unanimous in its choice.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Foulkes hails new era for Hearts
But Thaxton expects the Olympic silver medallist to give Romanov a wide berth after his emphatic defeat by the European lightweight champion.
Meanwhile, Jefferies thinks he could bring success to Hearts, even if he is forced to halve the wage bill by Vladimir Romanov.
Romanov wants to challenge the dominance of Celtic and Rangers, but Foulkes insisted that Robertson was not daunted by such heady ambitions.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Foulkes hails new era for Hearts
But Laszlo, in a barbed comment about the support on offer from Romanov, dropped a hint that his future may lie elsewhere.
"It will be a very exciting occasion for Hearts supporters and football supporters in Scotland as a whole, " said Hearts chairman Roman Romanov.
The latter confirmed he was under orders to reduce the wage bill after Romanov warned he would no longer tolerate "mercenaries" at Tynecastle.
But these latest comments suggest that Romanov's and Laszlo's visions of how success can be achieved for the Edinburgh club are at odds.
Magnotta, who was born as Eric Clinton Newman and also uses the alias Vladimir Romanov, fled by plane from Montreal to Europe, Lafreniere said.
But the former Scotland midfielder believes that Robertson will work well with Romanov and proposed director of football Anatoly Byshovets, the former CIS coach.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Foulkes hails new era for Hearts
The early years of Romanov's reign featured a number of players brought in from his Lithuanian club Kaunas before turning to Hearts' youth system.
And Hearts chairman Roman Romanov caused some confusion later that same month when he said a well-known figure was already "working incognito" for the club.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Duffy handed Hearts director role
Scotland international Pressley was a free agent after coming to an agreement to leave Hearts earlier this month following his criticism of majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.
BBC: Steven Pressley shows his delight at having joined Celtic
Thaxton, a veteran of 15 years as a professional fighter, is facing up to the fact that he is the rank outsider to win against Romanov.
It's also hard to believe that the resignation of Romanov and his fellow directors on the board of UBIG, announced on Monday, is unconnected to Hearts' future.
Foulkes, the then chairman, resigned in protest at Romanov's treatment of Anderton, but Lithuanian millionaire Romanov insists that he had no choice but to ring the changes.
BBC: SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Romanov lashes out at sacked trio
Interestingly, at the Russian technology trade show underway in Washington this week, plaques bearing the eagle and Romanov crests are being presented as souvenirs to honored guests.
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