Neil Lennon sacked as Rapid Bucharest manager after just six games without a win – as former Celtic manager’s three-month nightmare is cut short

Neil Lennon has been sacked as manager of Rapid Bucharest after a disastrous three-month spell in charge of the Romanian club.

The former Celtic manager took charge in May, signing a two-year deal with Rapid as he sought to revive his coaching career abroad.

But it quickly turned into a nightmare for the 53-year-old, whose side are 12th in the league after failing to win a single of their opening six games of the new season.

That run of five draws and one defeat led to Rapid pulling the plug and immediately appointing his successor: club legend Marius Sumudica.

A statement from the club said: ‘Rapid have today parted ways with Northern Ireland manager Neil Lennon after just six stages of the current Romanian SuperLiga season.

Neil Lennon has been sacked as manager at Rapid Bucharest after a three-month stint

‘When Neil Lennon arrived this summer he failed to record a single win on the Rapid bench, drawing five and losing one.

In addition to Neil, other members of his staff will also be leaving: Iain Brunskill, Andrew Liddell and Kyirakos Televantos.

‘We thank Neil for all his dedication and energy on the Rapid bench, especially as he has gone through some tough times recently, and we wish him every success in the future.

‘Our club is pleased to announce the return of Marius Sumudica, a true Rapid player, as our new head coach.’

Lennon was forced to deny rumours last week that he had fallen out with former captain Cristian Sapunaru.

In a furious response to the claims, he said: “It’s complete nonsense. I don’t know where you get that from. Cristi should have started but he got injured and he still hasn’t recovered.

‘So here I am again, answering a few questions about a made up rumor that I can’t verify. I don’t want to talk about fiction, I want to talk about reality.

‘This has to stop. It’s embarrassing for the industry and your media, especially when unsubstantiated stories surface.

‘I am a professional, I have worked at a high level as a player and as a manager. I am not here to discuss gossip, I am not interested in drama.

‘I’m here to do my job, to build a team that the fans can be proud of. I’m amazed at the level of absurdity that surrounds the club, the players and me.

“It’s shameful and unprofessional. As professionals, we should act accordingly. Maybe the game here needs to be better, there are far too many of these kinds of things.”

The former Celtic manager hoped to revive his coaching career abroad in Romania

Previously, he was the coach of Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia for seven months

Earlier in his tenure, Lennon was also forced to deny urinating on the pitch during training, calling the story “completely made up.”

Rapid’s sudden departure is a further blow to Lennon’s coaching career, which has been in a slump in recent years.

He has a wealth of experience in football but was sacked by Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia two years ago after just seven months in charge.

Lennon had already indicated in recent weeks that he had no intention of stepping down from his role, despite Rapid’s poor start to the season.

He was determined to carry on, despite the loss of his mother, Ursula, who sadly passed away earlier this month.

But last night the decision was taken out of his hands when Rapid announced they had split.