Rapid experiences a paradox: he has money, but the results are disastrous. In the last stage of the last championship, the Cherries achieved the only victory in the play-off, 2-0 against FCSB, when the red-blues had already crowned champions in the Superliga. Otherwise, no victory in the other nine stages (one draw, also with Becali’s team, the rest straight defeats) and in the 4 played this season.
Neil Lennon signed the contract at the beginning of the season, in front of Dan Șucu. Photo Rapid 1923
The scandal is knocking on the door, the fans being totally dissatisfied, and some of the players trying to disembark the Scotsman Neil Lennon, “landed” in the chaos in Giulesti at the beginning of the season. Today’s match with Gloria Buzău may be the last for the Briton on the Rapid bench.
Dan Şucu is very angry
Although the management and the fans believed that enthusiasm would reign again at Rapid, with the multiple changes that occurred within the club, the reality is completely different. The news at the level of the technical bench, but also within the group of players, did not bring the freshness that was needed in the cherry camp after the disastrous play-off last season. “When I see the current situation, I have many question marks. You know how it is, in this job, the results keep you“, commented the president Viorel Moldovan, also newly installed, about the Scottish coach.
He described the atmosphere in Giulesti: “I told Lennon that he had to change the system. They have to do something to look different. If they don’t change, I don’t know, we’ll see. The boss is very angry. When you invest so much money and get no results… We agree with the supporters. If we continue in the same way, we will play with an empty stadium. Tribune 1 is already a bit empty”.
Supporters are pushing for Šumudica to come
The fans got tired of the favorite’s game after only a few stages, shouting “Resignation” at the game with Sepsi, but also the name of the favorite Marius Șumudică. And the emblematic player Cristi Săpunaru puts gas on the fire, after arriving as a reserve under Lennon’s command: “I’m trying to get away as much as I can, but I don’t really have any way”. He is supported by several colleagues, who try to “dig” the British technician.
But the grandstand vibe matters most under the Grant Bridge, so Lennon will likely be packing up soon. And everything will break in the head of Dan Șucu, who will “tick off” an episode in which he will pay good money because of his lack of football skills. This is because Neil Lennon will not leave Romania with empty pockets, but with all the salaries related to the two years for which he had agreed with Dan Șucu, of 60,000 euros per month.
Other “businesses” brand Dan Șucu
Skilled as a businessman, the shareholder from Giulesti still has a lot to learn as a club boss. Before falling out with Lennon, the financier of Rapid had gone through episodes like this before. After picking up a host of players that FCSB got rid of and making a disastrous play-off run in the Super League, the shareholder has another disastrous football deal on his resume. Giulești terminated Damjan Djokovic’s contract, the Croatian being brought to the cherry group after being kicked out by both CFR Cluj and FCSB. His departure from Rapid cost the head of the club under the Grant Bridge dearly: six salaries of the player, i.e. 103,000 euros.
Another case in which Dan Șucu lost his money was that of Milos Pavlovic. He was summoned by TAS to pay the Serb 600,000 euros at the end of last year. This despite the fact that the player who passed through Giulești during the mandate of George Copos had proposed to the current boss to settle the conflict for 250,000 euros, which the financier of the Cherries did not agree with.
Neil Lennon earns €60,000 a month at Rapid, twice as much as Dan Petrescu at CFR Cluj.
Superliga, 5th stage
Friday
FCSB – Farul Constanta 3-2
Saturday
Hermannstadt – FC Botoșani 17.00
UTA – Oțelul Galati 19.00
Gloria Buzău – Rapid 22.00
Sunday
Sepsis – Craiova University 19.00
CFR Cluj – Unirea Slobozia 22.00
Monday
Petrolul – Cluj University 19.00
Poli Iasi – Dinamo 22.00
Superliga standings
1. Galati Steel 4 3 1 0 6-2 10
2. University of Craiova 4 2 2 0 6-2 8
3. Cluj University 4 2 2 0 7-4 8
4. Sepsis 4 2 2 0 6-4 8
5. Dynamo 4 2 1 1 11-6 7
6. Unirea Slobozia 4 1 2 1 4-4 5
7. FCSB 4 1 2 1 6-7 5
8. UTA 4 1 2 1 4-5 5
9. Oil 4 1 2 1 2-4 5
10. Constanta Lighthouse 5 1 1 3 4-5 4
11. CFR Cluj 4 1 1 2 7-9 4
12. Gloria Buzau 4 1 1 2 4-7 4
13. Fast 4 0 3 1 5-6 3
14. FC Botoșani 3 1 0 2 3-4 3
15. Poli Iasi 4 1 0 3 2-5 3
16. Hermannstadt 4 0 2 2 2-5 2
*the FC Botoșani – FCSB match, from the 3rd stage, has been postponed.
Places 1-6 enter the play-off (round-trip, 10 stages in total).
Places 7-16 will continue in the play-out (single leg, 9 stages in total).
The 1st place in the play-off participates in the Champions League, and the 2nd and 3rd place in the play-off in the Europa Conference League.
The 3rd place in the play-off will play a play-off with the winner of the play-off between the 1st and 2nd places in the play-out for a place in the Europa Conference League.
9th and 10th place in the play-out relegates directly. The relegable places 7/8 in the play-out play a play-off with the places 3/4 in League 2.
