Patrick Vieira has brushed off speculation that he could take over as Arsenal boss following Unai Emery’s dismissal and insists he’s happy managing Nice for the time being.
Arsenal confirmed that Emery had been relieved of his duties in the wake of last Thursday’s woeful defeat at home to Eintracht Frankfurt and Freddie Ljungberg has taken over the reins as caretaker manager.
Ljungberg was promoted to Emery’s coaching staff last summer after a successful stint with the Under-23 side and the Swede will take charge of the first-team away at Norwich on Sunday afternoon.
Vieira, who played alongside Ljungberg from 1998 to 2005 in north London, was firmly on Arsenal’s radar before Emery’s appointment and has once again been linked with the position.
However,the iconic Frenchman has played down the rumours and sent on his best wishes to Emery.
‘It’s a very difficult job and I realise that. It’s always sad to see a coach lose his job,’ the ex-Arsenal captain said following Nice’s victory over Angers on Saturday.
‘Today it’s his turn and tomorrow maybe it will be me. When you throw yourselves into this job, you have to expect to be sacked one day.
‘There are things I don’t control. People say a lot of things in this industry, whether they’re true or not. I have nothing to say on the matter.
‘Like you, I read things, watch things and listen to things. That’s all. I have never said I wanted to leave Nice!
‘Maybe one day I’ll be sacked without wanting to leave Nice.
‘I know where I am and I know where I’m going and it doesn’t bother me.
‘It’s true that this evening I would have preferred more questions about the performance of my players rather than on my future.’
Ljungberg has vowed to ‘help and support’ Arsenal’s players after a miserable start to the campaign under Emery.
‘It’s a great, great honour I feel this energy inside of me. It’s special of course,’ he told Arsenal’s official website.
‘There is sadness with the club with where we are and this and that. There is also excitement with what we can do tomorrow and the chance we have to play.
‘It’s a great honour and that’s what I said to the players: “You guys have to do the job”. I can help and support them but for me it’s a great, great honour.
He added: ‘I was proud and honoured that they thought about me that it’s such and important thing and they trusted and believed in me to deliver that.
‘I felt excitement because I feel we have some very, very good football players here it’s an amazing club.’
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