Strasbourg have tonight announced the appointment of Patrick Vieira as the club’s new head coach, with the former midfielder signing a three-year contract to take charge of the Alsatian side.
The former midfielder had emerged as the favoured candidate earlier this week to replace Frédéric Antonetti, who had steered the team clear of relegation last season but left by mutual consent in the wake of the takeover by Chelsea owners BlueCo.
Vieira returns to a Ligue 1 role three years after the end of his two-season spell at Nice, which was followed by a stint at Crystal Palace that ended with his dismissal back in March.
According to L’Équipe, BlueCo had been looking for a managerial appointment that would align with their lofty ambitions for the club. The newly-arrived shareholders will be hoping the former Arsenal man can oversee a more successful season than this past campaign, which saw the team dragged into a relegation battle for much of the year. Among the other names on the Alsatians’ shortlist were former Toulouse manager Philippe Montanier and Karel Geraerts, formerly of Brussels side Union Saint-Gilloise.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin