Neil Lennon has been sacked as manager of Rapid Bucharest after a disastrous three-month stint in charge of the Romanian club.
The former Celtic boss took charge back in May and had signed a two-year deal with Rapid as he sought to reignite his managerial career abroad.
But it swiftly turned into a nightmare for the 53-year-old, whose side sit 12th in the league after failing to win any of their opening six matches in the new season.
That run of five draws and a defeat led to Rapid pulling the plug — and immediately naming his successor as club legend Marius Sumudica.
A club statement read: ‘Rapid parted company with Northern Irish coach Neil Lennon today, after only six stages of the current Romanian SuperLiga season.
Neil Lennon has been sacked as manager by Rapid Bucharest after a three-month spell
‘Arriving this summer, Neil Lennon did not manage to get any victory on the bench of Rapid, finishing five times in a draw and losing one match.
‘Along with Neil, other members of his staff will also leave, Iain Brunskill, Andrew Liddell and Kyirakos Televantos.
‘We thank Neil for all his dedication and energy on the Rapid bench, especially since he has been through difficult times lately, and we wish him much success in the future.
‘Our club is pleased to announce the return of Marius Sumudica, a pure-blood Rapid player, who is our new head coach.’
Lennon was last week forced to deny speculation that he had fallen out with former club captain Cristian Sapunaru.
In a furious response over the claims, he said: ‘It is utter nonsense. I don’t know where you got that from. Cristi should have started, but he got injured and has still not recovered.
‘So here I am again, answering some questions about some made-up rumour that I can’t control. I don’t want to talk about fiction, but about reality.
‘This must end. It’s embarrassing for the industry and your media, especially when unsubstantiated stories emerge.
‘I am a professional, I have worked at a high level as a player and as a manager. I’m not here to discuss gossip, I’m not interested in drama.
‘I’m here to do my job, to build a team that the fans can be proud of. I am surprised at the level of absurdity that surrounds the club, the players and myself.
‘It’s embarrassing and unprofessional. As professionals, we must behave accordingly. Maybe the game should improve here, there are far too many things like this.’
The former Celtic boss had been hoping to reignite his managerial career abroad in Romania
He previously had a seven-month spell in charge of the Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia
Earlier in his tenure, Lennon was also forced to deny claims that he had urinated on the pitch during a training session, describing the story as ‘completely fabricated’.
The swift departure from Rapid is another blow to Lennon’s managerial career, which has hit the rocks over the past few years.
A vastly experienced figure in the game, he was sacked by Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia two years ago after only seven months at the helm.
Lennon had insisted over recent weeks he had no intention of quitting his post despite Rapid’s poor start to the season.
He was also determined to carry on despite grieving the loss of his mother, Ursula, who sadly passed away earlier this month.
But the decision was eventually taken out of his hands last night when Rapid announced they had parted company.