Crystal Palace sack Patrick Vieira as manager
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has been sacked, with the Eagles still winless in 2023
Patrick Vieira has been sacked as Crystal Palace manager.
The Frenchman was on a run of 12 games without a win, stretching back to New Year's Eve, 2022, when the Eagles beat Bournemouth. This week, Crystal Palace were beaten 1-0 by rivals Brighton & Hove Albion to seal Vieira's fate.
Despite the poor run of form that the south Londoners find themselves on, Palace have not dropped below 12th in the table since early January. This weekend would have seen Vieira return to the side that he captained as a player, Arsenal.
Vieira took the job at Selhurst Park at the start of last season, following Roy Hodgson leaving the club and enjoyed a stellar first term in charge. Palace finished 12th in the table and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Chelsea.
Previously, Vieira managed New York City FC in Major League Soccer, and Nice in France.
Palace will take to the Emirates Stadium this weekend without a manager but with the international break on the horizon, will likely hire a new head coach in the coming fortnight.
The outgoing Vieira had previously stressed publicly that the club needed to bring in reinforcements in the January transfer window. Palace managed to secure a deal on deadline day in the end for Arsenal star Albert Sambi Lokonga.
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Vieira leaves Crystal Palace with a win percentage of 29.73%.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
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