Hearts manager Paulo Sergio insists the fact his side are facing rivals Hibernian in today’s Scottish Cup final doesn’t give the game greater importance.

While supporters of the rivals are gripped by Scottish Cup fever ahead of the first all-Edinburgh final since 1896, the Portuguese manager has been determined to avoid hysteria and keep his squad calm in the build-up to the Hampden clash.

“For me it’s an opponent, it’s a game that I want to win like all the others,” Sergio said.

“It’s not special because it’s Hibs. This is a game that is as important as it was to win against Auchinleck (Hearts’ fourth-round opponents). If we didn’t beat Auchinleck, we would not be here to play this one.”

Since Hibs beat Aberdeen and Hearts knocked out Celtic in the semi-finals, the Scottish capital has been in anticipation of today’s showcase final.

But when pressed about the special nature of a fixture last played 116 years ago, Sergio added: “This is a statistic. That doesn’t make the game different for me.”

It may yet be Sergio’s final match in charge, with the manager set to meet owner Vla-dimir Romanov for talks about a new contract following the cup final.

Meanwhile, his Hibernian counterpart, Pat Fenlon, has told his side to seize their chance as they bid to lift the trophy for the first time in 110 years.

After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League, Fenlon has told his players to show more character against Hearts as they look to end their Hampden hoodoo and win the competition for the first time since 1902.

However, Fenlon, who took charge at Easter Road in November, attempted to downplay the weight of history on Hibs, who are winless in 10 derby attempts since May 2009.

“It’s my first attempt to get through the Scottish Cup and we’ve got to the final,” Fenlon said.

“It gives us a great opportunity but there’s a big obstacle in front of us. We’ve just got to make sure that that’s what we focus on.

“I’m looking forward to the game. It was a big relief to make sure we stayed in the league, that’s probably where the real pressure was for us.”