Italian Serie A side Genoa FC has revealed the hiring of Patrick Vieira, a former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder, as their new head coach.
The club made this announcement in a statement published on its 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, was an integral part of Arsenal’s legendary ‘Invincibles’ team that secured the club’s third Premier League championship. He shared the field with fellow French players Thierry Henry and Robert Pires, among others. Additionally, Vieira was a member of the French squad that won the FIFA World Cup in 1998.
The statement continued, “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!”
The announcement follows Genoa’s decision to part ways with their previous head coach, 42-year-old Alberto Gilardino, due to an underwhelming start to the Serie A campaign.
“Genoa CFC announces that Alberto Gilardino has been relieved of his duties,” the club confirmed on Tuesday.
Gilardino, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, assumed the role of Genoa’s head coach in December 2022 following his tenure with the club’s Under-19 team. Under his leadership, Genoa secured automatic promotion to Serie A in 2023 and finished 11th in the league last season.
Currently, however, the team is struggling, occupying 17th place in Serie A with only two victories in 12 games, just a single point clear of the relegation zone.
