Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira ( born June 23, 1976 in Dakar, Senegal ) is a former French footballer of Cape Verdean descent. He has, in addition to the French and Senegalese passport.
Career
In the club
Vieira lived from the age of seven in France and began his career at AS Cannes. After a short stay at AC Milan, he played in the years 1996 to 2005, in the English first division club FC Arsenal in midfield, where he was most recently also team captain. During a Champions League match between his club Arsenal and Lazio Rome he was racially abused by the opposing captain Sinisa Mihajlovic, what the Serbs had problems.
Vieira played in the 2000 UEFA Cup final with Arsenal against Galatasaray. Arsenal lost the final on 17 May 2000 on penalties. Patrick Vieira missed the decisive penalty, with his teammates Davor Šuker missed before.
On 14 July 2005, he signed a four year contract with the Italian giants Juventus. The transfer fee is said to have stood at 20 million euros, according to British media reports. The annual salary of the French amounted to 3.5 million euros, reported the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. The Spanish showpiece club Real Madrid had expressed interest. On 28 July 2006 he joined because of the unavoidable descent of Juventus, due to the manipulation scandal in Italy to Inter Milan for a transfer fee of € 9.5 million. Vieira is there to receive an annual salary of 5.5 million euros.
On January 8, 2010 Vieira joined the Premier League to Manchester City, at the Citizens, he signed a half year contract with an option for a further year. Manchester City took the option and extended the contract at the end of the 2009/10 season for another year. On July 14, 2011 Vieira announced the end of his active career. He now works in the youth department of Manchester City.
In the National Team
Vieira came in 1998 at the World Cup in their own country, where France took the title to two inserts.
His first major appearance in the French national team he had in 2001 at the Confederations Cup in Japan and South Korea. In this tournament, he was able to achieve two goals in five games and leading scorer through these gates with six other players. France won the final against Japan by Vieira Gate 1-0.
Three years later he was called up to the squad for France for the EURO 2004 in Portugal. In all group matches played by the French midfielder. In the quarter-finals to eventual champions Greece he did not participate. France was eliminated 0-1.
In August 2006, Vieira was appointed as the new captain of the French national team and thus succeeds the retired Zinedine Zidane. This year he made with the French, the finals of the World Cup. After Zidane returned to the team, he was an alternate captain. In the third group match against Togo Vieira was honored as Best Man of the Match. He scored the goal to make it 1-0, Final Result: 2-0. Also in the second round against Spain he could put his stamp on the game. Vieira scored again a hit and was player of the game. Until the final Vieira played always. In the final, however, he was replaced for Alou Diarra and thus was forced to watch from the bench the game until lost on penalties.
In the European Championship finals in 2008, he belonged to the French squad. Vieira could be used due to a torn muscle in his thigh in any game. France was eliminated as a group last. For the World Cup 2010, he was not nominated.
Achievements
As a national player
- World Champion: 1998
- European Championship: 2000
- Confederations Cup: 2001
With its clubs
- Italian Champion: 1996, 2006 *, 2007, 2008, 2009
- English Champion: 1998, 2002, 2004
- FA Cup: 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011
- FA Community Shield: 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
- Italian Supercup: 2006
* Disallowed under the Italian football scandal in 2005/ 06
Individual Achievements / Honors
- French Footballer of the Year: 2001
- FIFA 100
- European Football Championship All- Star Team: 2000
- FIFA World Cup All- Star Team: 2006