Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira has been appointed head coach of Senegal, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) confirmed on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old succeeds Pape Thiaw, whose tenure ended after Senegal were knocked out of this year’s World Cup in the round of 32.
Vieira was born in Dakar and now returns to his country of birth to take charge of Senegal’s senior national team for the first time. The FSF said the date of his official presentation and details of his appointment would be announced later.
The former midfielder has built his coaching career in England, France and Italy. He managed Crystal Palace in the Premier League before taking charge of French clubs Nice and Strasbourg. He also had a short spell as head coach of Serie A side Genoa.
Vieira will now take on his first international management role with Senegal, who are preparing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Qualifying is due to begin as early as September, with Vieira’s first matches expected during next month’s international window.
As a player, Vieira was one of France’s leading midfielders during their most successful period. He was part of the squad that won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and Euro 2000, and earned more than 100 international caps.
His club career is closely associated with Arsenal, where he made more than 400 appearances and won three Premier League titles. He also played for AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
Vieira’s appointment gives him the opportunity to begin a new chapter in international management while leading a Senegal side looking to build towards the next Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
