Vieira Reveals Ambitions To Manage Arsenal

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has indicated his desire to one day take over the managerial reigns at the Emirates Stadium.

Vieira remains an Arsenal legend having spent nine-successful years as a player in north London, captaining the side for the majority of that spell, including during their ‘Invincibles’ season when they went through the entire 2003-04 Premier League campaign unbeaten.

The former France international eventually left the Gunners in 2005, rounding off his career with spells at Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City before taking his first steps into coaching with the latter upon retiring from playing in 2011.

After cutting his coaching teeth at the Etihad, Vieira then took over as manager in the United States with New York City in 2016 before taking up his position at current club Nice two years later.

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Vieira guided Nice to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 during his first season in charge, a respectable feat given their relatively limited resources and he will be aiming to achieve something similar this term.

The 43-year-old admits he is happy at Nice and feels he can achieve further success at the Allianz Riviera, although he has also indicated that he has ambitions of taking over at a Champions League club in the future, most notably Arsenal. “Yes, like any player, when we do this job we want to reach the very highest level,” Vieira told RMC.

“But I can reach a very high level with Nice from the moment we give ourselves the means to succeed and at the moment the way which we work is quite consistent. “But we do this job, and I do this job, to one day to be the coach of a team that participates in the Champions League or the World Cup.”

Vieira may have to bide his time before he potentially comes into the reckoning at Arsenal, as there are no indications the Gunners are planning to part ways with current boss Unai Emery anytime soon.