Italian club Genoa have parted ways with head coach Patrick Vieira following a dismal start to their Serie A campaign that has left them anchored to the bottom of the table.
The former Arsenal and France midfielder oversaw a run of nine winless matches to begin the season, culminating in a 2-0 home defeat to newly promoted Cremonese on Wednesday night — a result that sealed his fate.
Cremonese forward Federico Bonazzoli, who recently formed a strike partnership with Jamie Vardy, scored both goals in the victory, further deepening Genoa’s woes.
In a statement (via Express), the club said, “Genoa CFC announces that Patrick Vieira is no longer the coach of the first team. The club would like to thank the coach and his staff for the dedication and professionalism they have shown throughout their work and wishes them all the best for their future careers.
“The technical leadership of the first team has been entrusted on an interim basis to Mr Roberto Murgita, assisted by Mr Domenico Criscito.”
Vieira’s dismissal comes amid mounting pressure from fans and the club’s hierarchy, who had expected a stronger start after investing in several summer signings.
The top-flight Serie A club is now expected to announce a permanent coach in the coming days as they look to salvage their season and climb out of the relegation zone.
