Patrick Vieira had a a relatively reasonable period as Crystal Palace manager, before a tough patch and a flirt with the relegation zone cost him his job.
The Frenchman managed 74 games between July 2021 and March 2023 and guided the Eagles to a 12th placed finish in the 2021/22 season.
Along the way, Vieira showed his ability to work with younger players as he gave a platform to the likes of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Now impressing at Genoa, the former midfielder has spoken to Gazzetta dello Sport about his career and was asked about the reluctance of Serie A clubs to focus on youth, or even give talented prospects much of a chance. In reply, he explained that for him personally it’s something he has a track record of doing.
He said: “My path tells me that I have always worked with young people. At Nice, at Crystal Palace, which was one of the oldest teams in the Premier, at Strasbourg. I have brought in young people everywhere.
“But be careful – young people must be able to make mistakes and the club must be aware that by giving them the opportunity to play you can also lose a match.”
Vieira is obviously pleased with his approach to using youngsters at Crystal Palace, and will want to do similar going forwards at Genoa. The trend has continued at the London club, with the Eagles having multiple notable youngsters in recent years.
