Neil Lennon has received the public backing of the Rapid Bucharest board after a disappointing start to his tenure in the Romanian capital led to "attacks without evidence".
The former Celtic and Hibernian boss took up the role earlier this summer and at the time talked up the project at the club.
But it appears the idea that the 53-year-old had in mind hasn't aligned with the Rapid support or the local media, who have taken the teams winless start, which consists of two draws and a defeat from their opening three league games as an opportunity to take aim at Lennon.
Accusations made against the Northern Irishman have been of fairly serious nature, and not just performance related.
That's prompted the Rapid board to address the matter and deny the stories that have been circulating within Romanian media outlets.
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A club statement read: "FC Rapid publicly disapproves all attacks without evidence to which the club members are subjected to every day. It's a trend to bump into Rapid and I understood this satisfaction from a part of the media, analysts and some persons who have turned their love for Rapid into a tool of denigration.
"At the moment, the results are not helping us, but that doesn't mean we are a less powerful team determined to achieve performance. We are a team that has chosen to change strategy, to evolve and to do things right in all walks of life, both in sports and in administration. And those remembered above can only invent defaming articles. Thing that says a lot about them, not about the strength of the club, whose sole objective is to make its supporters happy.
"This objective assumes a "work in progress" and we expected this period to be the perfect time for those who feed only on scandal.
"We want to clarify two subjects that appeared in the press that have no real basis.
"Neil Lennon is a professional, with a history that should make any speedster fan proud. His mentality brought to the club an enormous desire for evolution. Under no form has there ever been a moment in which he was any other than a professional. Thus, we deny the rumours that describe him and his staff acting inappropriate during training.
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"We also know that fans have questions about Viorel Moldovan's situation. At the moment, the club’s president is away for a very important family event, his son’s wedding, which is taking place in Cancun. This departure was scheduled before Viorel Moldovan signed with Rapid and represents an event that no parent can miss. We ask that there be decency and that this moment should not be interpreted in a negative way. Viorel Moldovan is in permanent contact with his colleagues and is up to date with all the events related to the club."
"We hold our ground and assure Rapid fans that their wishes and dreams are in safe hands, because the path we have started is one that makes us stronger. In all this amalgam of negativism they are subjected to, we promise them that we trust the process of the team and pray that they do too. These are not empty words, they are supported by daily effort, discipline and organisation from which we promise you that the only payback is growth."
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