Daniel Niculae, the former president of Rapid Bucharest, has taken aim at the club's hierarchy for appointing Neil Lennon as head coach, asserting that the Celtic icon's stint in the Romanian capital was destined to fail from the very beginning.

Lennon, who assumed control of the Liga I club in May, entered a challenging situation armed with high expectations.

He made a bold and ambitious move by overhauling the squad, bringing in 12 new players during the summer transfer window in a bid to rejuvenate the team.

However, despite these significant changes, his time in charge was abruptly cut short after he failed to secure a single victory in six matches, ultimately leading to his dismissal.

"His appointment was a mistake last summer, a big mistake!," he told Romanian outlet GSP.

"No, the dismissal wasn't a mistake, just the timing of his installation. This solution should not even have been discussed. Everyone sounded the alarm about Lennon's arrival, but why that happened I don't know. The 'bad guys' from Rapid should be asked."

Read more: 

Lennon previously threatened to reveal more details around his sudden departure and why his latest managerial stint didn't work out.

"One day I will say more about what happened at Rapid, but not now," he said. "I don't know what version the club is telling about my departure, but I think most people know the truth about what happened.

"As for the results that Rapid has now, it's really not my problem anymore."