Patrick Vieira appointed Genoa head coach, replaces Alberto Gilardino

20 November 2024Last Update :
Patrick Vieira appointed Genoa head coach, replaces Alberto Gilardino

Patrick Vieira has been appointed as Genoa head coach.

The former Arsenal midfielder replaces Alberto Gilardino, who was sacked by the Serie A club on Tuesday.

Genoa have not yet confirmed the length of Vieira’s appointment but say the 48-year-old will take charge of his first training session and finalise his contract later on Wednesday.

Genoa are 17th in Serie A, one point and one place above the relegation zone having won 10 points from their opening 12 league matches of the season.

Gilardino, 42, had been Genoa head coach since December 2022, guiding the club back to Serie A with automatic promotion six months later and securing an 11th-place finish in the 2023-24 campaign.

 

Vieira — captain of Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ side and a 107-cap midfielder for the France national team — was most recently head coach of Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, whom he left by mutual consent in June this year.

Strasbourg ended the 2023-24 campaign in 13th place in the 18-team Ligue 1, 10 points clear of the relegation zone but 11 short of the European qualification places.

Vieira began his managerial career in January 2016 and spent two and a half years in charge of MLS side New York City FC, before spending the same length of time in at Ligue 1 club Nice.

The Frenchman was appointed as Crystal Palace head coach in the summer of 2021 but was sacked in March 2023 with the club three points above the relegation zone.

Following the international break, Genoa host 16th-placed Cagliari before travelling to ninth-placed Udinese.

(Xavier Laine/Getty Images)