Patrick Vieira Shrugs off Rumours He Could Manage David Beckham's Inter Miami
Nice manager Patrick Vieira has dismissed speculation he could become the manager of David Beckham's new Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
Inter Miami, who will join MLS in 2020, are still assembling their playing and coaching staff for their debut season.
Per Goal's Chris Burton, Vieira responded to talk he could be the coach: "At the beginning of the season it was Lyon, today there is Inter Miami and tomorrow it will be Botafogo. I don't know what to say to you."
ESPN's Taylor Twellman had linked the Frenchman with the vacancy:
Vieira is no stranger to MLS, having left his role as Manchester City's reserve team boss to take charge of New York City in January 2016.
He managed the club until June last year, having guided them to second in MLS' Eastern Conference in both of his full campaigns in charge. On both occasions, they lost in the Eastern Conference Playoff semi-finals.
At Nice, the Arsenal legend took them to seventh in Ligue 1 last season, although they scored just 30 goals across the entire 38-game season.
His side have struggled this season with seven defeats in their first 14 league matches, leaving them 15th in the table.
They're only three points above the relegation zone, though they're also the same distance behind sixth-place Montpellier.
SportBusiness' Bob Williams gave his thoughts on why Vieira might be reluctant to return to MLS:
Nice have won just once in all competitions since September 21, so Vieira will be under pressure to turn things around before they slip closer to the bottom three.
Should he be relieved of his duties in the coming weeks, a new project like Inter Miami, akin to the challenge he took on with New York City, in a league where he did quite well could hold some appeal.
However, the standard in top-level European football is much higher. If that's where Vieira wants his career to progress, he needs to prove himself in Europe rather than the United States, so returning to MLS will do him no favours.
