Arsenal legend Patrick Viera has landed his fifth managerial role as he is appointed as the new head coach of Serie A side Genoa. Viera takes over in the Genoa hotseat with the Italian side currently sitting just one point outside the relegation zone.
Patrick Viera Named As New Genoa Boss
Arsenal legend Patrick Viera has been appointed as the new head coach of Serie A club Genoa. The 48-year-old takes over at the Genoa helm with the club current occupying 17th place in Serie A, just one point above the relegation zone in Italy’s top flight.
Viera succeeds ex-Italy striker Alberto Gilardino, who had been Genoa manager since December 2022 before his sacking on 19th November. Genoa have been struggling this season, winning just two of their 12 league matches so far this season. Not to mention being knocked out of the Coppa Italia already too.
The end of the 2006 World Cup winner Gilardino’s reign means the beginning for Viera, who will get to work with his new club immediately. Viera left French side RC Strasbourg back in July, but is now back in the dugout after just four months away.
The former world class midfielder landed his first proper management role back in 2016 at New York City in America. Viera was head coach there until 2018, before heading to Nice where he was the manager from 2018-2020. The Frenchman led Nice to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 in his first season.
In 2021, the Arsenal legend was appointed manager of Crystal Palace. During his time at Selhurst Park, Viera guided the Eagles to a 12-th place finish in his debut Premier League season as well as an FA Cup semi-final. Viera was then sacked after a 12-game winless run in 2023, before joining Strasbourg four months later.
Now, Patrick Viera has landed his fifth managerial role and his first in Italy. He certainly has a job on his hands, but is more than capable of turning Genoa’s fortunes around by guiding them in the right direction up the Serie A table.
Patrick Viera and Mario Balotelli Set To Reunite At Genoa
With Viera’s appointment at Genoa officially announced, this means that the Frenchman will reunite with former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli.
Balotelli signed for Genoa last month after leaving Adana Demirspor in Turkey. The appointment of Viera at the Italian side means the pair will reunite for the first time since their time at Nice.
Viera managed his former Manchester City and Inter Milan teammate during the 2018/19 Ligue 1 season, but the pair didn’t seem to see eye to eye. Balotelli has since said it was disagreements with his new boss over tactics that ultimately led to the Italian striker’s exit from the club in 2019.
Genoa fans will be hoping the pair can leave their past behind, with both instead helping the Serie A strugglers turn their season around in a positive fashion.
As a three-time Premier League winner and four-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, not to mention a 1998 World Cup and 200o Euros winner with France, Patrick Viera certainly knows what it takes to win games of football.
With his new job confirmed, all eyes will be on how Viera performs in Italy and whether or not he can turn Genoa’s season around. Time will tell if this is the case.
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