Vieira admits arguing with Mourinho

There’s nothing Patrick Vieira hasn’t experienced. Once upon a time, he was one of the best midfielders in the world — an indispensable member of Arsenal’s legendary “Invincibles.” He was on top of the world with the French national team, and he’s won so many trophies and individual awards that even he probably couldn’t count them all. Now, he’s in a different role — he’s turned to coaching. He hasn’t been as successful as he was as a player, leading smaller and less successful clubs.

Despite all that, he continues to attract attention, and at one sports event, he recalled some interesting moments from his illustrious career.

“I wanted to be like Zidane — back then, everyone dreamed of being like him. I regret staying at Juventus for only one year. That one title I won was erased because of Calciopoli, but I still count that Scudetto as mine. We were simply the best team at that time” said Vieira.

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When the major match-fixing scandal broke out, Vieira was among the players who left Turin — but he joined one of Juventus’s biggest rivals.

“When Juve were relegated to Serie B, I was disappointed. Inter offered me a contract, and I decided to accept it. I enjoyed it, but much more when Roberto Mancini was there than with Jose Mourinho. Jose and I argued several times. He justified not playing me by saying that other players were better. It wasn’t easy to swallow back then, but now that I’m on the other side, I admit he was right.”

The former midfield powerhouse ended his career in 2011 at Manchester City, but the idea of becoming a coach had come much earlier. He is currently in Genoa, trying to keep his limited squad above water.

“At Arsenal, I realized that coaching was for me. I wanted to dedicate myself to it. I want to rise to higher levels step by step. The current situation with Genoa isn’t great — we have two points, we’re behind. But the team has an identity, and I want to develop players like Venturini, Ehator, and Markandali, giving them time to make mistakes. I’d really like to experience the derby against Sampdoria. A city like Genoa deserves that” he revealed.

Among his fellow Serie A coaches, he admires Vincenzo Italiano and the work he’s doing in Bologna, but he particularly values the advice of Fabio Capello.

“Capello taught me something fundamental when I first came to Italy as a very young player. I was at Milan, where it was impossible to find a spot in such a team, but Fabio kept talking to me and considering me. That’s a skill that helps young players maintain their confidence,” Vieira emphasized.