Patrick Vieira Takes Charge As Genoa’s New Coach Amid Challenging Season Start

Patrick Vieira has been appointed as the new boss of Serie A side Genoa.

The ex-Arsenal and France midfielder has reached an agreement to take over as coach of the Italian club, succeeding Alberto Gilardino.

Genoa, sitting just above the relegation zone following a disappointing start to the season, parted ways with coach Alberto Gilardino on Tuesday.

Genoa have 10 points from the first 12 games of the league campaign, leaving them 17th in the standings.

They acted swiftly to secure Vieira, who previously spent two years as the head coach of Crystal Palace and has also managed New York City, Nice, and most recently, Strasbourg.

“Genoa CFC announces that it has entrusted the technical management of the first team to Patrick Vieira,” the club said in a statement.

Vieira embarked on his managerial career with Manchester City’s under-23 team from 2013 to 2015, before assuming control of MLS team New York City. He then spent two and a half years at Ligue 1 club Nice before making his move to Crystal Palace.

The 48-year-old will be reunited with his former Manchester City team-mate Mario Balotelli, who left Nice while Vieira was the boss in 2019.

Vieira later admitted the controversial Italian striker was someone he found “difficult to work with”.