With 34 minutes on the clock at the GSP stadium, Cypriot side Omonia did the unthinkable.
The net rippled and the 20,000-strong home support erupted. Little wonder. The minnows had just taken the lead against heavy-hitters Manchester United in matchday three of the Europa League group stage, and had their eyes set on a famous win.
In the dugout, the grin couldn't be wiped from Neil Lennon's face. The former Celtic and Hibernian manager had made the move to the Mediterranean the previous season and was on the verge of masterminding one of the greatest victories in Cypriot footballing history.
Unsurprisingly, United's quality ultimately told, coming back to win 3-2. As it turned out, Karim Ansarifard's early strike that night proved to be the final highlight of Lennon's reign.
Fast-forward two weeks, and he was out of a job. Sacked, after less than eight months as head coach.
The fiery Northern Irishman hasn't been in work since, yet despite that recent quickfire dismissal he is planning on a return to management when the right opportunity comes along.
He reckons he’s matured and developed considerably as a coach and says his best years in football are ahead of him.
“I’m certainly not as hot-headed as I was when I first came into the job and I don’t try to do the job 24/7 any more. That’s detrimental. When things are going well, everything’s great in your life and, when things start to go wrong, everything around you becomes a negative so it’s about trying to get a better work-life balance.
“In football terms, I’ve definitely improved with the experience I’ve picked up. A lot of managers say the same thing. They want to be forward-thinking, play on the front foot, blah, blah, blah. And we all want to do that. But there are times when you can’t. When you come up against superior opposition you learn to be a bit more pragmatic in your approach and think more about setting up the right defensive structure and the best team formation.
“I’ve got vast European experience now. I’ve got a lot of domestic experience. This period out of the game’s been frustrating but I’ve not been climbing the walls to get back in. I’m nicely relaxed about what happens next and I’m confident of picking up a job that I can thrive in again.”
Lennon’s convinced he was the victim of a trigger-happy football regime in Cyprus where job security for managers is a rare commodity. And he doesn’t think his professional reputation’s been damaged.
“I think that’s just the climate there. I still don’t understand the reasons why [he was sacked] because we were very successful, winning the Cypriot Cup and getting into the Europa League was a big, big thing. And then we got a draw that was very glamorous, in the same group as Manchester United and Real Sociedad and we brought in a lot of money. Obviously we were minnows in that competition. It was a very difficult group but it was a great experience, not just for myself, but for the players as well.
“But they do go through coaches quite quickly in Cyprus. It’s almost like a routine for them and, again, that’s something that you learn about going abroad. If you look at a lot of coaches, they’re at one club for one year, then they go to another club for another year and so on. And that just seems to be the norm around Europe and it’s not something we’re used to in the UK because we do like to have stability and longevity although a lot of clubs in this country are now going that way as well.
“The way the season started, we won three games and lost three and they were worried about the domestic form. We were only five points off the top so it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction. We were seventh, six games in, and in Europe. It’s their decision and you have to respect that but I don’t see it as damaging at all. In fact the whole time there for me was very, very good and it whetted my appetite for working abroad again.”
Earlier in the summer, Lennon was on the shortlist for the manager’s job at Greek club Olympiakos, losing out in the end to Spaniard Diego Martinez. He sees that as much more encouraging than disappointing.
“I was very close to getting in at Olympiakos but they brought in a Spanish director of football and they decided to go with a Spanish coach. That would have been a great one but I was certainly in their thinking, in the top two or three, so that does feel good that a club of that magnitude would be interested in me. It didn’t happen but it gives you a lot of confidence going forward.
“And there were a couple of other projects I was approached about but nothing concrete as yet. It’s just a question of being patient and having a look at things rather than jumping in for the sake of jumping in and maybe regretting it three or four months later.
“You have to be aware of the climate. You have to go in with your eyes open. And that was the situation going to Cyprus. Longevity for a coach is hard to come by, and you understand that but it’s good work and it’s good experience and it certainly made me more rounded, professionally.
“I came up against coaches from Spain, Serbia, Scandinavia and, of course, Greece and Cyprus. You’re coming up against different styles of football and how these people view the game. Different preparation, different tactics. I really enjoyed that side of it and it does give you a hunger for more. If you look at England there’s a massive foreign influence now, not just in the Premier League but also in the Championship.”
It’s ten months and counting now for Lennon’s football time-out although he had a longer spell on the sidelines before he took the job in Cyprus.
“Between Celtic second spell as manager and Omonia it was 13 or 14 months. That was a little bit more uncomfortable than it’s been this time. I think the year in Cyprus, winning a trophy and getting into Europe, did me a lot of good. Just for my own peace of mind more than anything else and knowing that you can work at a very good level.
“But the landscape’s always changing. There are lots of younger coaches coming into the game. They seem to be ticking boxes for a lot of owners. Then you’ve got the older brigade, the likes of [Neil] Warnock and [Roy] Hodgson. But I look at the landscape all around Europe and there are a lot of good coaches just biding their time, waiting for the right opening and the competition’s huge.
"And then there’s a new kid in town with Saudi Arabia as well which is very exciting if you’re somebody out of the game. The opportunity to go and work in the Middle East if that suits you.”
Closer to home there’s been plenty of interest in the out-of-work Lennon who, in addition to managing Celtic twice, guided Hibs back to the Premiership in 2017 after taking the reins at Easter Road. He’s not ruling out another Scottish job but it does sound unlikely.
“I’ve had a few offers in Scotland and it’s just not been for me. Obviously, my base is in Glasgow. My family are here. I’ve no problem with working in Scotland again, It’s moulded me for 20-odd years as a player and a coach. I know the environment inside out. When you’ve done it for so long here and you’ve reached the top of the mountain, you start looking at other mountains to go and climb.
“That’s what I did with Cyprus and I’m now looking at other ventures out there. Like all football environments we get a little bit trapped in the bubble of it all. There is another world out there. The Cypriot league is better than I thought it would be. There are a lot of good players out there and a lot of clubs in good health. Facilities are good and that surprised me. It really opened up my eyes.
“The experience made me more rounded, and I do feel – I’m 52 now – my best years are ahead of me in terms of coaching. I know I’ve achieved a lot already but I’m more mature now and I’ve still got the energy to keep working in football into my 60s.”
And as he continues to grow in the game, what about a director of football job further down the line? Maybe at Celtic where he’s been player, coach and manager already? Is that a role that might appeal to him?
“Absolutely yeah, not just at Celtic but at other clubs. I think it’s an interesting role. You develop a structure for the club and you’re obviously involved in the recruitment side of things as well. You’re not hands-on with the coaching but you’re there to advise and support the manager.
"It’s a very important position at a lot of clubs. I can see myself in five or ten years' time fitting into that role really well because I’ll have the experience and the background and the knowledge. It's something I'm looking into."
