The sporting drama of Rapid is certainly enjoyed by the rivals from Giulești, but the man who enjoyed this crisis the most was, paradoxically, one who kept beating himself with his fist that he is a Rapidist to the core: Marius Ninel Șumudică (53 years old).
Marius Șumudică, with a big mouth, in the purest Romanian style. PHOTO: Facebook
But if we put aside his declarations of love for Rapid – comparable to those he makes for Recep Erdoğan, how many times he gets a contract in Turkish football! – we realize that, at the present time, it would hardly be possible to find a man so set against “railway“.
But why did a 50-year-old technician, who theoretically should have become wiser, more temperate, with the passing of the years, ended up having so much venom against the club where he worked, both as a player and as a coach? A short answer to this question was provided by Gabi Tamaș (40 years old), in dialogue with prosport.ro. “What I don’t like is proposing yourself to a team. I mean, these gestures are childish. If he wants you on that team, he’ll take you. These are some Romanianisms“, Tamaș said, with direct reference to what Şumudica did, in an attempt to reach Rapid’s bench.
What Tamaș didn’t say is that Şumudica’s repeated slips brought him down as a coach. Because, starting from 2021, the Romanian is in a professional slump.
A “tooth” against the club management
For Şumudica, the arrival of the Victor Angelescu – Dan Șucu couple at the head of the club was bad news. Because we are talking about two people who stay away from scandals and have a different kind of speech compared to other financiers in our football. For almost two years, Angelescu and Șucu opposed the coming of Şumudica to Rapid, because they realized that they are incompatible with a coach who shakes his belly at victories or makes a circus at conferences.
Moreover, Şumudica’s constant attacks on Rapid took him off the bosses’ list for the coaching position, as was natural. Victor Angelescu talked about this aspect, last year, when the unemployed Şumudica kept proposing to Rapid.
“First of all, I find it a bit difficult to think that we are putting Şumudică because, in recent years, he has criticized non-stop what is happening at Rapid. As long as you don’t agree with the patronage, with the centenary, with what the club is doing, with the people in the club and you have certain reactions, then it seems incredible to me to say that you can be called a coach. You come, throw stones non-stop, announce that you want to be a trainer and that you’re a speedster… I find it incredible, though. You make certain statements, that you won’t work with certain people, that this is not Rapid, after which you expect to be appointed a coach… it seems quite hard to think. It should be decided what his opinion is, it cannot change from one day to the next. As a coach, I am convinced that he is very, very good. But it’s not just that or that you’re a speedster. As long as you throw stones, how do you want us to work together?“, said Angelescu.
Naturally, after these statements, the man with the decision-making power at the club, Dan Șucu, slapped Cristiano Bergodi. And Sumudica became even fiercer against the Rapid. It’s just that the intensity of his attacks decreased, while he got a new contract in Turkey, in Gaziantep, between September 2023 and March 2024.
Chucu sent him “for a walk”
After a new missed experience in Turkish football, Şumudică returned to the country and settled in the studios of sports shows. From where he resumed his attempts to make his way to the bank of the Rapid.
As last season’s play-off was a football catastrophe for the people of Giulești, the former striker hoped, more and more, that he would be appointed to the position, after the interim Bogdan Lobonț, for the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. And when Dan Șucu summoned him for talks, Şumudica believed that he had finally achieved his goal, as he later recounted.
“I met with Mr. Șucu twice and talked with him for an hour. It left a tremendous impression on me. When I left him, he would take me to the elevator, put his hand on my back. When I entered the elevator, I said to myself: >. Sucu made me think I was the coach of Rapid. He was telling me: >. I went to the car and called my wife: >. And in two days…boom…Neil Lennon!“, Şumudica told “Fanatik”.
The fans who were on his side also woke up
Only after this account can we realize how muchboiled“Shut up, at the time of Neil Lennon’s appointment at Rapid. From here and “analysis” his who demonstrated that, simply, “radiate“, seeing how the Lennon experiment turned out to be a big failure. Journalist Dan Udrea (Prima Sport) also wrote about this situation in an editorial published on golazo.ro. Udrea explained that even the fans of Rapid, who once wanted to see Şumudica as a coach, ended up disowning him, precisely because they realized that he wished the club harm.
“Maybe Şumudica should analyze himself. And to realize that all his actions, behind the scenes, with the aim of denigrating and exposing Lennon, precisely so that the Northern Irishman would be dismissed, also reached the ears of the supporters. Which, no matter how much they appreciate Şumudică, they have also come to realize that he is only harming the club in a really desperate attempt to become a coach there. Sumudica promised some time ago that he would change. It hasn’t changed. He remained the same slippery character, who, according to some witnesses, was puffed up while Rapid led in the match with Gloria Buzău. And when the newly-promoted equalized, and especially after the match ended 1-1, Şumudica returned to its special verve. He was pleased that Rapid had not won, which in his plans brought him closer to the technical bench“, is a fragment of the text signed by Dan Udrea.
Furthermore, the Prima Sport journalist pointed out that Şumudică, once considered a “crazy nice“, in the meantime, he became incompatible with a club the size of Rapid, precisely because of his behavioral slips.
“The world we live in, today’s football have evolved, they have become civilized. I don’t think there is any more room for cheap caterinca and poor quality circus. This is no longer the time for coaches to come to the conference and take their pants off. Those times have passed. And Șucu took on and passed this test with flying colours“, added Udrea in his text for golazo.ro.
And Şucu is the man of compromise…
But Dan Udrea was wrong, at least with the last part of his excellent text! Because even Dan Șucu proved to be a man of compromise. After almost 2 years in which he didn’t even want to hear from Marius Șumudica, the majority shareholder of Rapid violated his principles and, last night, slapped the 53-year-old coach.
According to “Fanatik”, Şumudica was offered a contract “concrete“, after Neil Lennon’s departure became official. Specifically, the replacement for the Northern Irishman will receive €20,000 per month and will have substantial performance bonuses. For a 2nd-3rd place finish, Şumudică will receive 100,000 euros. And if he wins the title, his premium for this goal will be 500,000 euros, provided that Rapid also enter the group stage of a UEFA interclub competition.
So, once again it proved that in our serious football “sick“, common sense is for suckers, and trainers with big mouths and big mouths will always achieve their goal. Probably, that’s why the technicians who are from another country left here”dough“, such as Cosmin Olăroiu, Răzvan Lucescu and Ladislau Bölöni. And they haven’t looked back, despite all the offers they’ve received over the years.
*Marius Smudică for “Fanatik”: I am the boy who talks a lot. The results of the Rapid prove me right. My father told me that even when people talk about me well, and when people talk bad about me, to be happy that they are talking about me, this shows that I mean something.
*Marius Shudder for “Fanatic”: I have the same emotions as when I was a champion with Rapid, as a player. It’s one of the happiest days of my life! We are obliged to change the situation in the ranking because it is a very well organized club from all points of view. Time is short, we have to win matches, points. We have the best fans in Romania and I’m back home.
He hums, kissing the Sheikh’s turban, to keep his job with Al-Shabab. In vain! PHOTO: Archive
A single mandate carried through to the end from 2021 onwards
Wasting time with maneuvers and behind-the-scenes games, Marius Șumudică gradually moved away from the good results he had as a coach, all culminating in the title (2015-2016) and the Romanian Supercup (2016-2017), trophies that he conquered them with Astra Giurgiu.
Starting in 2021, however, since he was fired from Gaziantep when they were in first place in the Turkish Super League – the president was annoyed that he was trying to force a salary increase in the middle of the season, taking advantage of his good results – the career of coach Marius Ninel Șumudica has take it downhill. In the past three and a half years, he has only had one lineup that he has stayed with for a season, head-to-tail. We are talking about Al-Raed (Saudi Arabia), where he collected 31 matches: 9 wins, 7 draws, 15 defeats. Otherwise, the Romanian did not last anywhere for an entire season, as his figures below demonstrate:
*Rizespor (25 January – 4 March 2021): 7 matches
*CFR Cluj (2 June – 28 August 2021): 15 matches
*Malatyaspor (October 14, 2021 – February 7, 2022): 17 matches
*Al-Shabab (23 March – 30 June 2022): 11 matches
*Gaziantep (September 8, 2023 – March 6, 2024): 28 matches
From this last formation, Şumudica did his best not to be kicked out. Noting that he took over the team in a big crisis, without any points after four stages. And initially it seemed to have turned things around, evidenced by the points collected, 19 in total, by the end of 2023.
But then, gradually, Gaziantep got back into the game. In 2024, with Şumudică on the bench, the Turks had 11 matches in the championship: one victory with the last ranked Istanbulspor (3-1), six draws, four defeats. Although the Romanian insisted that he would right the ship, the management terminated his contract. Which turned out to be an inspired decision! Because his replacement, the Turkish Selçuk Inan (39 years old), actually managed to save Gaziantep from relegation, finishing the previous championship in 11th place out of 20, after taking the team from 18th place, after the departure of Şumudica.
Superliga, 6th stage
Friday
Unirea Slobozia – Petrolul 1-2
University of Craiova – Gloria Buzau 5-1
Saturday
FC Botoșani – UTA 1-0
FCSB – Poli Iasi 0-1
Sunday
Fast – Dinamo 1-1
Monday
Cluj University – Sepsi 3-0
Farul – Hermannstadt 3-2
put off
Galati Steel – CFR Cluj
Ranking
1. Craiova University 6 4 2 0 13-4 14
2. Cluj University 6 3 3 0 10-4 12
3. Galati Steel 5 3 2 0 7-3 11
4. Dynamo 6 2 3 1 14-9 9
5. Oil 6 2 3 1 4-5 9
6. Sepsis 6 2 2 2 7-9 8
7. CFR Cluj 5 2 1 2 10-9 7
8. Constanta Lighthouse 6 2 1 3 7-7 7
9. Poli Iasi 6 2 1 3 5-7 7
10. FC Botoșani 5 2 0 3 5-6 6
11. UTA 6 1 3 2 5-7 6
12. Fast 6 0 5 1 7-8 5
13. FCSB 5 1 2 2 6-8 5
14. Hermannstadt 6 1 2 3 6-9 5
15. Unirea Slobozia 6 1 2 3 5-9 5
16. Gloria Buzău 6 1 2 3 6-13 5
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.
