After a four-month absence from management, former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has returned to the sidelines, with Genoa appointing him as their new head coach. The Serie A club announced that Vieira will take charge of Italy’s oldest active football team following the departure of Alberto Gilardino. Gilardino left the club in July, with Genoa struggling near the relegation zone after a slow start to the season. This marks Vieira’s fifth managerial role and his first in Serie A. He began his coaching career with Manchester City’s Under-23 team, later managing New York City FC in MLS, Nice in Ligue 1, and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Vieira, 48, has a wealth of experience to draw upon, and the Serie A side’s fans will welcome his appointment. The former Arsenal star won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his stellar playing career, and he also picked up silverware at AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Manchester City. He also won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship with France.

He managed his former Manchester City team-mate Mario Balotelli at Nice during the 2018-19 Ligue 1 season, but the pair didn’t appear to see eye-to-eye in terms of tactics. The Italy striker later claimed disagreements with Vieira led to his exit from the club in 2019.

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With Genoa, who are just a point above the relegation zone after losing half of their league matches this season, having sacked Gilardino, it’s widely expected that the former Arsenal star will be appointed as their next boss. He’ll reunite with Balotelli, who signed for the club last month from Turkish club Adana Demirspor.

Genoa says they have chosen the right man in Vieira, who can “create a positive dynamic with the squad and with the support of the fans.” The club added that his hiring resulted from a lengthy selection process.

Genoa announced that Vieira’s first training session will be on Wednesday afternoon. The club will then reveal the exact date and time of his first match in charge. The Italian side is at home in Cagliari on Sundays. Gilardino’s departure from the club was a surprise, with the former Italy coach reportedly signing a contract extension in August 2022. He led the club to direct promotion to Serie A in 2023 but departed after a slow start to the current campaign. He took just 10 points from their opening 12 games. The sacking of Gilardino has left the club just above the relegation zone in 17th place.