Former New York City FC head coach Patrick Vieira was fired by Crystal Palace on Friday with the team having been tumbled into the Premier League’s relegation fight.
Palace (6-12-9, 27 points), which is winless in a dozen matches in 2023, is in 12th place in the 20-team league. The London-based club is only five points ahead of last-place Southampton.
The team has lost three consecutive English Premier League matches.
“It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made,” Palace chairman Steve Parish said. “Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.”
Palace said the process to find Vieira’s successor had begun.
Vieira, a former standout Arsenal midfielder, directed Palace for 20 months after he took over the coaching reins in 2021. Three members of his coaching staff, Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun, also were sacked.
On Wednesday, Palace dropped a 1-0 decision to Brighton.
Vieira guided Palace to a 12th-place finish last season and into the FA Cup semifinals.
“Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant, and he is held in the highest regard by myself, and all of his colleagues,” Parish said. “Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service.”
Vieira coached NYCFC from 2016-18, leading the club to its first MLS Cup Playoffs berth, before joining Nice in French Ligue 1 in 2018.
