Crystal Palace have terminated Patrick Vieira’s contract after a winless 12-game run. Vieira stepped in as manager in July 2021 and led the Eagles to last season’s FA Cup semi-final. However, a totally lackluster run of form has seen him get the sack, with three members of his coaching staff, Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun, also having left the club ahead of Palace’s match with Arsenal on Sunday.
Patrick Vieira has been released after less than two years at the helm as Palace have been in lamentable form since the resumption of domestic football after the World Cup, having not won even a single match in 2023 and currently sit 12th in the Premier League, only three points above the relegation zone.
“It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made,” said chairman Steve Parish. “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.
“That said, 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.
“He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival.
“Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service. We also wish Patrick, Osian, Kristian and Said the very best for their futures.”
Vieira’s contract was on course to expire in 2024, but his termination of service came about due to Palace’s latest defeat to Brighton on Wednesday.
Prior to that defeat, Palace went three games without having even a shot on target, something no team has done in the Premier League, since Opta began recording data in 2003.
Their last win came on New Year’s Eve against Bournemouth and they were eliminated from the FA Cup and League Cup in their first matches in both competitions.