Another Premier League club found a new coach in the offseason. After four years at the helm, a veteran and a former England coach Roy Hodgson (73) left his boyhood club after his contract run out, and the Eagles appointed an Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as his successor for the next three years. The former Nice manager was in fact a third choice, as the club all but agreed with former Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre, only for the Swiss to turn the job down, as he needed ’a longer break from football’. Palace had previously targeted Nuno Espirito Santo, but talks with the 47-year-old former Wolves boss broke down and he later became new Tottenham coach.𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 🦅We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Patrick Vieira as our new manager until 2024 ✍️#CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 4, 2021 So far, Vieira didn’t even come close to match his football career with the managerial one. After managing Manchester City’s reserves, he became a coach of New York City F.C. after which he was appointed Nice boss in 2018, only to be sacked after two and a half years.“I am really excited to have this opportunity to return to the Premier League, and manage this great football club, as we begin a new chapter together. It is a project that is really appealing to me, having spoken a lot with the Chairman and Sporting Director about their ambition and plans for the whole club, including the Academy. The club has fantastic foundations in place after many years in the Premier League, and I hope we can make further improvements and continue to drive the club forward. I am also very excited to experience the atmosphere the club’s supporters make at Selhurst Park and away from home too, and I know just how important that can be for the team” said Vieira to the club’s website.No “here we go”, I don’t trust you Fabrizio.. 👀😉 https://t.co/1pHZUIufIR— Patrick Vieira (@OfficialVieira) July 4, 2021 Patrick Vieira is one of Arsenal’s great. A low profile signing in Arsen Wenger’s first season with the Gunners (1996), the French international with Senegal roots played for Arsenal until 2005, and captained the club after another legend, Tony Adams retired in 2002. Vieira played 396 games for Arsenal in all competition, scoring 32 goals, along with 44 assists. During his tenure with the club, he won three Premier League titles and 4 FA Cups, and was a member of the famous squad which won the Premier League without a single loss in 2003-04 season.It was a time of a fierce rivalry with Manchester United and his nemesis was Roy Keane. Their most infamous clash came in the tunnel ahead of United’s 4-2 win at Highbury in February 2005 where almost all of the verbal spat was picked up on camera. Keane was heard saying: “If you love Senegal so much, why don’t you go play for them?” as referee Graham Poll stood in between the pair. Many years later, Keane was honest in his assessment of Vieira:“Without doubt I’d put him alongside Zinedine Zidane, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as one of the very best I’ve ever played with or against, he was that good“ said the fighting Irish.Legendary Patrick Vieira is coming back to the English Premier LeagueAfter leaving Arsenal, the midfielder went on to spend a season at Juventus, before securing more silverware at Inter Milan (three Serie A titles and two Supercoppa Italiana cup triumphs) and Manchester City (one F.A. Cup win) where he brought to a close a remarkable playing career in 2011. On the international stage, Vieira made more than 100 appearances for France over a 12-year period, which included several spells as captain, winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and UEFA European Championship in 2000.Patrick Vieira: Ek will make another bid for ArsenalHis latest public appearances were connected with a potential role in his beloved Arsenal. Vieira, along with Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp teamed up with Spotify owner Daniel Ek in a bid to buy Arsenal from a current American owner Stan Kroenke, but wasn’t successful so far, since Kroenke stated that the club is not for sale and rejected both bids.
