The modest French club Nice FC has terminated the contract of Patrick Viera with the club. The 44-year old former French international ended his two and a half year contract with the club after replacing Lucien. Viera previously had a stint at New York City before landing the job at Nice.
Patrick Viera’s last game came against Leverkusen in the Europa group game. It brought an end to his stint at the French club. Under his watch, Nice has lost their last five matches in all competitions and currently sit 11th in the French league. Their poor form in recent times has got to the nerves of the management, and Viera bears the brunt.
Nice OGC released a statement Friday 4th December which reads in part thus:-
‘Patrick Vieira, who joined the club in the summer of 2018, is no longer head coach of OGC Nice, effective immediately.
In effect, Adrien Ursea is currently the head coach of the team. He is formerly the assistant coach to Viera and his predecessor Lucien Favre. In the meantime, he will take charge of his first game with the trip to Reims on Sunday.
Viera could not consolidate on the 7th place finish he recorded in his first season with the club. In a message, OGC Nice communicated their appreciation to Viera for his commitment and professionalism towards the development of the club. They also wished him well in his future endeavors.
The former Arsenal invincible played 279 games for Arsenal, scoring 33 goals in the process. He was an integral member of the invincibles who went all season without conceding a defeat. The team also set a 49 game unbeaten record, which no team in the Premier League is yet to match. He also helped France win the World Cup in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.
At the moment, He is without a club as Nice has relieved him of his post as their team coach. The French international will no doubt go back into management in no time. With the position of Mikel Arteta in Arsenal currently under the microscope, there may be a chance for Viera to take over at Arsenal.
Viera had a chance to land the Arsenal job last year, unfortunately, the management preferred Arteta.
