Patrick Vieira · Biography

Patrick Vieira made his professional debut on 20 November 1993, still a teenager, starting for AS Cannes in a goalless Division 1 draw away at Nantes. Born in Dakar, Senegal, on 23 June 1976, the midfielder went on to captain Arsenal, win the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France and, after retiring in 2011, coach clubs in the United States, France, England and Italy.

Early years and Cannes

His family settled in France in 1984. He came through the youth ranks at Trappes, Dreux and Tours before joining Cannes. Luis Fernandez gave him the captain's armband for that debut at Nantes. Under Safet Sušić he became a regular starter and captained the side in 1994-95. He made 49 league appearances for Cannes and scored twice. In 1995 he moved to AC Milan, where chances were scarce: six appearances, two of them in Serie A, in the season the club won the Italian title.

Arsenal, 1996-2005

Arsenal signed him in August 1996 for £3.5 million. He made his debut on 16 September 1996, replacing Ray Parlour in a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Under Arsène Wenger he became the anchor of the midfield. Arsenal won the league and FA Cup double in 1997-98 and again in 2001-02, and Vieira was named Premier League Player of the Season for 2000-01. He took over the captaincy in 2002, after Tony Adams retired. He lifted the FA Cup in 2003 and led the team that won the 2003-04 Premier League without losing a league match. His final kick for Arsenal was the winning penalty in the shoot-out of the 2005 FA Cup final, after a 0-0 draw with Manchester United. He left with 406 competitive appearances.

Italy and Manchester City

On 15 August 2005 he joined Juventus for £13.75 million. The Turin side finished top in 2005-06, but the Calciopoli scandal cost them the title and sent them down to Serie B. On 2 August 2006 he signed for Inter for €9.5 million. In Milan he won the 2006 Supercoppa Italiana and three straight Serie A titles from 2007 to 2009. He moved to Manchester City in January 2010 and made his debut on 6 February. On 14 May 2011 he won the FA Cup as City beat Stoke 1-0 at Wembley, and he announced his retirement on 14 July that year.

France national team

He won his first France cap on 26 February 1997 in Paris, a 2-1 win over the Netherlands. In the 1998 World Cup final he came on in the 76th minute for Youri Djorkaeff, after Marcel Desailly's sending-off, and in stoppage time set up Emmanuel Petit for the third goal of a 3-0 win over Brazil. It was only his ninth international. That year he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He went on to win Euro 2000 and the 2001 Confederations Cup, and finished runner-up at the 2006 World Cup. He ended with 107 caps, six goals and 21 matches as captain.

First steps in coaching

In May 2013 he took charge of Manchester City's Elite Development Squad, winning the Premier League International Cup in 2014-15. New York City FC announced his appointment on 9 November 2015, and he led the club from 1 January 2016 to 11 June 2018: 90 matches, 40 wins. That same day, 11 June 2018, he became head coach of Nice. He left on 4 December 2020 after five straight defeats and elimination in the Europa League group stage.

Crystal Palace, Strasbourg, Genoa and Senegal

Crystal Palace appointed him on 4 July 2021. His first game was a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea on 14 August, and he was sacked on 17 March 2023, two days after a 1-0 loss at Brighton, with a record of 22 wins in 74 matches. He signed for Strasbourg on 2 July 2023, opened with a 2-1 win over Lyon and left by mutual agreement on 18 July 2024. Genoa named him coach on 20 November 2024; he left by mutual consent on 1 November 2025 with the club bottom of Serie A. On 18 August 2026 the Senegalese Football Federation appointed him head coach of Senegal, the country of his birth, succeeding Pape Thiaw.