Former Arsenal midfield enforcer Patrick Vieira has been announced by Crystal Palace as their new manager after terms were agreed for a three-year deal for the 45-year-old Frenchman, who played in the English Premier League for Arsenal and Manchester City.
Vieira’s appointment brings an end to the open pursuit of managerial appointees by the South London club following the decision of ex-manager Roy Hodgson to retire at the end of the 2020/21 season. The club were said to have looked at a number of other candidates, including Frank Lampard, Valerien Ismael and Lucien Favre, with Favre coming particularly close to agreeing terms with the club before eventually pulling the plug on the deal.
Vieira started his coaching career after his retirement from active football, with New York City FC offering him his first taste of managerial experience, before he moved to OGC Nice in the French Ligue 1, where he led them to 5th and 7th in his two seasons in charge before a slump in form saw the club fire him midway through last season. Vieira’s appointment signifies the start of a significant rebuild in Crystal Palace, with a large number of their senior players in the final year of their respective contracts.
