Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has been named the new head coach of Italian Serie A club Genoa FC.
The club announced the appointment in a statement on its official website on Wednesday, titled “Press Release – Vieira Appointed New Head Coach.”
The statement read: “Genoa CFC announces that Patrick Vieira has been appointed as the head coach of the first team. The new coach will oversee his first training session this afternoon, following the formalisation of his contract at the Villa Rostan Headquarters.”
Vieira, a former French defensive midfielder, is renowned for his role in Arsenal’s historic ‘Invincibles’ squad, which secured the club’s third English Premier League title without a single defeat. He also played a pivotal role in France’s 1998 FIFA World Cup victory, alongside teammates Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.
The statement highlighted Vieira’s managerial experience: “With a professional journey that included a role as Executive Development Football at Manchester City’s Academy from 2011 to 2015, Vieira has also managed teams such as New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace, and Strasbourg. Welcome, coach!”
Vieira’s appointment follows the dismissal of Genoa’s former head coach Alberto Gilardino. The club confirmed Gilardino’s departure on Tuesday, citing poor results: “Genoa CFC announces that Alberto Gilardino has been relieved of his duties.”
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, took charge of Genoa in December 2022 and successfully led them to direct promotion to Serie A in 2023. Under his leadership, the club finished 11th last season. However, a poor start to the current campaign has left Genoa in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone, with two wins from 12 matches.
