Patrick Vieira, a former midfielder for Manchester City, has spoken about the part the City Football Company played in his ascent to the position of football manager
At the Financial Times Business of Football summit, which examined why there are so few black people in places of power in the sport, the Crystal Palace manager was a keynote interviewee.
While only 4% of managers in the top four divisions are black, including Burnley manager and former City defender Vincent Kompany, Vieira is the only black manager in the Premier League at the moment. Before Crystal Palace, he played with Kompany and served as a coach for City’s Academy and CFG team New York City FC.
The Clarets are currently in first place in the Championship and will play at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup quarterfinals, according to the 46-year-old, who also claimed that their experience at the Club contributed to their ability to manage at the highest level. Vieira began coaching at City’s Academy after making his final appearance in City’s 2011 FA Cup victory before assuming control of the EDS team.
After a brief return to France with Nice, he then relocated to New York City FC in the United States before taking over an exciting and gifted Palace team. Despite Vieira and Kompany’s and the sport’s success, there are still too few black people in top positions, especially when compared to the Premier League, where 43% of players are black.
Kolo Toure recently served as the head coach at Wigan, and Vieira believes more needs to be done to support black coaches. Yaya Toure is currently the coach at Tottenham, and Vieira hopes he will get a chance to manage. Vieira aspires to serve as an inspiration for black players who might be thinking about a job in management or coaching in the future.
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