Dragomir claims Pancu's Rapid career ended after dispute with owner's wife

Rapid București defeated Csikszereda 2-0 in a SuperLiga match where coach Daniel Pancu started 17-year-old Andrei Șucu for the first time before substituting him at halftime. The decision to remove the teenager during the break triggered a sequence of events leading to a public dispute between the coaching staff and the club's ownership family. Multiple sources confirmed the result and the halftime substitution as the catalyst for the current controversy surrounding the team.

Following the match, Pancu explained his decision by stating that Andrei Șucu was not physically prepared to play at Rapid's level and struggled during the first half. The coach mentioned he had sought to play the youngster for approximately three rounds but preferred not to risk him in tight table situations. Pancu also told Andrei’s parent that limiting his minutes was intended to protect him and help him understand professional football standards, noting the player previously debuted with a goal against FC Argeș.

Tension escalated when Diana Șucu published an Instagram post referencing two cakes and questioning if adults view beginnings with indulgence, which she later deleted. A social media exchange subsequently occurred between Pancu and Dan Șucu's wife regarding the controversy over playing time. This online interaction drew significant attention from figures within Romanian football who felt the dispute had exceeded acceptable limits.

Dumitru Dragomir stated for Fanatik that Pancu's career at Rapid ended after upsetting the patron's wife. The former LPF president claimed the coach wanted to appear superior by suggesting he would put both Dan Șucu and his wife in their place. Dragomir expressed certainty that Pancu's post-match declarations after the Csikszereda game would cost him dearly and predicted he will not continue at the club after this season regardless of performance.

Dragomir opined that Pancu lacks diplomacy despite having previously held a good impression of him. Other former players offered differing perspectives on the situation. Marius Lăcătuș stated on Digi Sport Matinal that Diana Șucu's message was uninspired and emphasized that Rapid does not belong only to the Șucu family. He suggested Victor Angelescu could mediate between the parties, recalling seeing Pancu and Diana Șucu together in a good atmosphere during the championship break.

Florin Bratu stated that Pancu acted correctly regarding Andrei Șucu and treated him with the same standards as other squad members. Bratu noted that while giving the player minutes and substituting him was acceptable, the ensuing online dispute went too far. Adrian Mutu also commented that the coach did absolutely nothing wrong regarding the handling of the Andrei Șucu situation. Lăcătuș added that Pancu was not forced to play the teenager and it was his own choice.