Sport
Patrick Vieira is ‘set to take up a new job’ – after quitting role at Strasbourg
Patrick Vieira is reportedly back in management after four months as he has been appointed as the new Genoa manager.
Vieira resigned from Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg in July after completing just one year of a three-year contract with the Ligue 1 side.
During his only campaign in charge of the BlueCo-owned team, they finished 13th out of 18 teams in France's top tier.
Vieria's departure mirrored that of Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual consent in the summer after 12 months in charge.
According to Relevo, the Frenchman will now return to the dugout in Serie A, replacing Alberto Gilardino at Genoa.
The Italian team looms just above the relegation zone in 17th place and has won only two of their first twelve games.
Former Italian striker Gilardino has been in charge of Genoa since December 2022, for whom he played between 2012 and 2014.
Last season he guided them to a respectable eleventh place, just one position behind Napoli, who won the Scudetto the year before.
However, with just 10 points out of a possible 36 this season, his role is in jeopardy, and it now looks like Vieira will replace him.
It would be the 48-year-old's fifth position in management following his retirement in 2011.
The former Arsenal captain started his coaching journey at Manchester City before being appointed head coach at MLS side New York City in 2016.
A spell at Nice followed before Vieira returned to the Premier League to take charge of Crystal Palace.
He was in charge in south London for just under two years before being sacked in March 2023 after a 12-match winless run.
Since leaving Strasbourg, Vieira has been linked to several jobs, including the United States national team. However, Pochettino took up that position in September.
The Frenchman is now set to rejoin his former City teammate Mario Balotelli, who joined the club last month.
The pair do not have the best relationship due to Balotelli's behavior in Nice when Vieira was in charge.
There was a falling out between the two in 2018 as the Italian looked out of form when he turned up late for Vieira's first training session. He played just ten games under the French before his contract was terminated.
Vieira said at the time: “When it comes to Mario, I want to answer, or just slam him against the wall, or leave him hanging by his collar on the coat rack.”