Vieira appointed Senegal head coach after World Cup disappointment

Senegal have appointed former France World Cup winner Patrick Vieira as their new head coach, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) announced on Tuesday. Vieira, who was born in Senegal and played for the national team, replaces Pape Thiaw, who was dismissed following the team's World Cup defeat to Belgium. The FSF stated that Vieira's appointment is a strategic move aimed at establishing a high-level technical staff to revitalize the Senegalese team after their disappointing World Cup run.

Vieira, 45, will focus on revitalizing the team following Senegal's loss to Belgium in the World Cup's last 32. Thiaw's tenure was marked by toxicity within the team after he demanded a pay rise and two World Cup group stage defeats for Senegal. Vieira's career includes stints at Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Nice, where he managed from 2018 to 2020.

He also had a brief managerial run with Crystal Palace in the Premier League before his dismissal in March 2023. Vieira played 107 times for France, winning the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros two years later. Senegal's appeal against the decision to strip them of their Africa Cup of Nations title in January is set to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland on October 8.