French football legend Patrick Vieira has officially stepped down as head coach of Genoa, the club confirmed on Saturday, following a disastrous start to the Serie A season.
“Genoa CFC announce that Patrick Vieira is no longer first team coach… the first team has been entrusted on an interim basis to Roberto Murgita, assisted by former Genoa player Domenico Criscito,” the club said in a statement.
Genoa currently sit bottom of the Serie A table, with just three points and no wins from their opening nine matches — the worst start to a league campaign in the club’s history.
Tensions reached boiling point during Wednesday’s 2-0 home defeat to Cremonese, where frustrated fans voiced their anger toward the team and management.
Initially, reports indicated that Genoa planned to retain Vieira after dismissing sporting director Marco Ottolini on Friday. However, multiple Italian outlets now confirm that it was Vieira himself who chose to step down, prompting the club to appoint Murgita and Criscito on an interim basis.
Vieira had taken over the club in November and successfully guided them to safety last season with a mid-table finish.
The Frenchman becomes the second manager to leave a Serie A club this season, following Igor Tudor’s dismissal by Juventus earlier in the week.
