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Vieira officially named new Nice manager

EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ / AFP / Getty

OGC Nice announced the appointment of Patrick Vieira as the club's new manager on Monday, confirming a since-deleted press release from City Football Group that said the Frenchman had left his post at New York City FC for the French Riviera.

Vieira, 41, replaces Lucien Favre on Nice's bench.

He spent two-and-a-half fruitful years in charge of NYCFC, leading the MLS expansion franchise to consecutive second-place finishes in the Eastern Conference. Vieira coached the likes of David Villa and Andrea Pirlo in the Big Apple, but still found a way to promote the club's promising youth players.

"I can honestly say that my time with the club has been perfect - both on the professional and personal level," Vieira wrote on Twitter. "I love New York, my family loves New York, and I will always have a NYCFC family here."

The former Arsenal midfielder was immediately linked with a return to the Gunners following the resignation of Arsene Wenger. Nice then emerged as a potential destination once Unai Emery replaced Wenger.

Vieira's move to southern France was first announced by NYCFC's sister club, Manchester City, on Sunday night. City Football Group owns both sides.

The post was swiftly deleted from City's website.

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