Senegal have appointed Patrick Vieira as their new head coach, turning to the Dakar-born former Arsenal and France captain to succeed Pape Thiaw. The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed the move after an emergency committee meeting held by video conference, with discussions over the contractual terms and a date for his official presentation still ongoing.
"Following deliberations, the Emergency Committee unanimously approved the appointment of Mr Patrick Vieira as head coach of Senegal's senior national team," the federation said in a statement. "This strategic choice marks a new stage in the FSF's desire to establish a high-level technical structure fully aligned with our country's sporting ambitions."
Vieira, 50, was born in Dakar before moving to northern France aged eight. He won 107 caps for France, including the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, and became an Arsenal great over nine seasons in north London, winning three Premier League titles and playing in the unbeaten Invincibles side of 2003-04 before later spells at Juventus, Internazionale and Manchester City.
His coaching career has taken in New York City FC and Nice before Crystal Palace, who sacked him in March 2023, and then Strasbourg, most recently ending at Genoa, whom he left by mutual consent in November 2025 with the club bottom of Serie A. Senegal is his first job in international management.