The future of Patrick Vieira at Genoa is now written in dotted lines. The French technician, who arrived during last season to save a club on the brink of collapse after the departure of Alberto Gilardino, had then achieved a real feat. With his natural authority, his tactical rigor and his high-level experience, the former Arsenal midfielder had restored cohesion to a disoriented group, allowing the Ligurian club to remain in Serie A against all odds. His work was unanimously praised by the press, supporters and managers. All of Italy praised his ability to stabilize a fragile team, to help certain young players progress and to instill a combative mentality. So much so that his name was circulated in several major Italian clubs this summer including Fiorentina, Inter Milan and AS Roma, major Calcio teams seduced by his playing philosophy and his professionalism. With this credit, Genoa had done everything possible to keep it and extend it until 2027, convinced of having found in Vieira a coach capable of building a long-term project leading to a European spot.
But just a few months later, reality suddenly caught up with hopes. The start of the 2024-2025 season is turning into a nightmare for Vieira and his men. With only three points taken in eight days, Genoa has the worst start in its history in Serie A, a dizzying statistic for such a historic club which has just celebrated its 132 years of existence. The defeat conceded this Sunday noon on the Torino pitch (2-1) only pushed the Rossoblù a little further into the crisis. However, the start was encouraging: Morten Thorsby opened the scoring in the 7th minute, rewarding a first period dominated by Genoa. But as too often since the start of the season, the team sank after the break. Stefano Sabelli first scored against his side, the fourth Genoese CSC in 2025 – more than any other team, in the 63rd minute from a harmless cross, before Maripán crucified the Genoese in the 90th minute from a corner. A symbolic scene: sterile domination, defensive feverishness, lack of reaction. The statistics are relentless and reflect a team without confidence or collective benchmarks, with the third worst attack in the championship and the sixth worst defense.
Vieira on an ejection seat?
The causes of this debacle are multiple, but the failed summer transfer window is undoubtedly the most glaring. The workforce, already limited, was weakened by a series of poorly compensated departures. The club lost several key elements: Koni De Winter, pillar of the defense, was transferred, as was Honest Ahanor, one of the few to have brought verticality last season. Added to this are the end of loan of Alessandro Zanoli, Fabio Miretti and Andrea Pinamonti, who had been major architects of the maintenance. On the arrivals side, the sports management was unable to offer Vieira adequate reinforcements. The loans of Maxwel Cornet, Valentin Carboni, Albert Gronbaek, Leo Østigård and Lorenzo Colombo have, for the moment, brought nothing concrete. Some struggle to integrate, others lack rhythm or consistency. Jean Onana, whose purchase option was exercised after a mixed loan, did not confirm expectations and seems in difficulty in midfield. As for the executives supposed to pull the team up like Vitinha and Ruslan Malinovskyi, they are struggling, irregular and often isolated in their efforts. This inconsistent transfer window, designed more to limit spending than to strengthen weak points, left Vieira with an unbalanced squad, lacking depth and competition.
In this deleterious context, Patrick Vieira's position is more threatened than ever. The French technician, although renowned for his calm and lucidity, seems more and more alone in the face of the turmoil. “I'm disappointed, but we had an interesting match. We are going through a difficult time, and we have to accept it. This is a very difficult time for the coach, the players and all the supporters. 3,000 of them came from Genoa today, which is a testament to our passion. We must stay united, accept criticism and continue to work with the unity we have always had» lamented Vieira this Sunday after the Turin setback. Internally, the Genoese leadership is beginning to question its ability to revive a demobilized group. President Dan Șucu could well already convene an emergency meeting with sporting director Marco Ottolini to assess the situation and consider several scenarios. Some Italian media are even talking about a possible decision in the coming hours if the results do not improve quickly. Even if Vieira still retains some support, especially among the players, patience is running out. Genoa has still not won a single match, and the current dynamic leads straight to a fight for survival. At this rate, a new change of coach could take place before the November break. For Vieira, the observation is cruel: the one who was seen as a symbol of renewal could become the first victim of a poorly prepared project. Genoa, a historic club in Italian football, cannot afford another relegation and will have to act quickly to prevent the situation from becoming irreversible.
