Patrick Vieira is back in management in France (Picture: Getty Images)
Patrick Vieira has been confirmed as new manager of Racing Strasbourg, shortly after the group that owns Chelsea took majority ownership of the Ligue 1 club.
BlueCo, the group led by Blues owner Todd Boehly, took over at Strasbourg last month and have moved quickly to bring in the Arsenal legend.
Vieira was last in work at Crystal Palace, surprisingly sacked in March, although his replacement, Roy Hodgson, has done brilliantly since.
The 47-year-old returns to France where he had previously been in charge of Nice from 2018-20 and sounds excited about the project as he signs a three-year contract.
‘I am particularly happy to join Racing,’ said Vieira. ‘I know the history and the identity of this club, the fervour it arouses, the importance it has for its region, which is a place of football and passion.
‘The rebuilding of the club in recent years, under the direction of [club president] Marc Keller, is an example to be admired. Working with him is a real pleasure for me. Today, a new cycle begins for Racing and it is exciting as a coach to be able to build something while relying on the values that have defined the strength of the club.’
Keller added: ‘I welcome Patrick Vieira, whom I know from the French national team; I am very happy to welcome him to Strasbourg. Patrick’s arrival should allow us to make further progress and to take a step forward.
‘He corresponds to the profile we were looking for: a manager with international experience, and who also has a good knowledge of Ligue 1 and its young players. We are convinced that he will be able to do a very good job here, in a healthy and fulfilling environment. We are going to put him in the best conditions so that he can succeed.’
On BlueCo’s purchase in June, a club statement read: ‘The shareholders of Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace today announced an agreement with BlueCo, the consortium which purchased Chelsea FC in May 2022.
‘The agreement would mark a new chapter in Racing’s history as the ownership consortium commits to accelerate sustainable investment in the club’s growth, including in the first teams and in the academy, in continuity with the project implemented by Marc Keller, who would remain president of the club, supported by his current management team.
‘Through its involvement and recognised expertise in sport, BlueCo plans to make an active contribution to the development of the model implemented by Marc Keller, first, financially, by providing capital that will enable investment in the men’s and women’s first teams, the academy and across the club.
‘It also plans to provide Racing access to broad resources and collaboration. Racing’s teams would be able to exchange advice and expertise with Chelsea and the other teams which the owners are involved with.’
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‘I know the history and the identity of this club, the fervour it arouses.’