Halis Sunnetci
18 August 2026•Update: 18 August 2026
Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira was appointed the head coach of Senegal’s national team, football officials announced Tuesday.
“Mr Patrick Vieira is the new coach of Senegal’s senior national team,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said on US social media company X.
It said the date of his presentation and more details would be announced later.
The 50-year-old, who was born in the Senegalese capital Dakar, succeeds Pape Thiaw, whose tenure ended following the Lions of Teranga’s elimination from this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the Round of 32.
Vieira began his senior managerial career with Major League Soccer’s New York City FC, which he coached from 2016 to 2018.
He then managed French Ligue 1 clubs Nice from 2018 to 2020, Strasbourg from 2023 to 2024, as well as English Premier League side Crystal Palace from 2021 to 2023.
His most recent managerial role was with Italian Serie A club Genoa from November 2024 to November 2025.
He lifted the club from the number 17 spot to a 13th-place finish in the 2024-25 season, 12 points clear of relegation, before leaving following a winless start to the next campaign.
Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, Vieira was part of the France team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.
At the club level, Vieira made 406 appearances for Arsenal, helping the club win Premier League and FA Cup doubles in 1997-98 and 2001-02 before captaining the Invincibles to an unbeaten league title in 2003-04.
