Lennon's Rapid Bucharest appointment was a mistake from the start, says ex-chairman

Former Rapid Bucharest chairman Nicolae Manea has criticized the club's decision to appoint Mick Lennon as manager, saying it was a mistake from the start.

Lennon was appointed as Rapid Bucharest manager in July 2022, but was sacked just three months later after a poor run of results.

Manea, who was Rapid Bucharest chairman from 2019 to 2022, said that he had warned the club's board of directors against appointing Lennon, but that they had ignored his advice.

"I told them that Lennon was not the right man for the job," Manea said. "He had no experience of managing in Romania, and he didn't know the Romanian language.

"I also told them that he was a very expensive manager, and that we would be better off spending our money on a more experienced manager who knew the Romanian league."

Manea said that the club's board of directors had ignored his advice, and that they had appointed Lennon on the basis of his reputation as a player.

"They thought that because he was a successful player, he would be a successful manager," Manea said. "But that's not always the case.

"Managing a football club is a very different job to playing football. You need to have a lot of experience and knowledge to be a successful manager."

Manea said that Lennon's appointment was a mistake, and that it had cost the club a lot of money.

"We paid Lennon a lot of money to come to Rapid Bucharest, and he didn't deliver," Manea said. "He didn't improve the team, and he didn't get any results.

"We made a mistake by appointing him, and we paid the price for it."

Conclusion

Lennon's Rapid Bucharest appointment was a mistake from the start, says ex-chairman. The club's board of directors ignored the advice of former chairman Nicolae Manea, who warned them that Lennon was not the right man for the job.

Lennon was sacked just three months after being appointed, after a poor run of results. The club paid Lennon a lot of money to come to Rapid Bucharest, but he didn't deliver.

The club made a mistake by appointing Lennon, and they paid the price for it.