rewrite this title Patrick Vieira: Genoa boss on lure of moving to Serie A, and why Crystal Palace can lift FA Cup vs Man City

The sun is streaming through the windows at Genoa’s picturesque training ground. Patrick Vieira has just come off the training pitch and enters the room with a big smile.

He has been here since November, but in less than six months he has taken the club from the brink of relegation to mid-table safety, while also navigating management during a takeover.

Genoa is the most ancient football club in Italy, with a passionate fanbase. Although Vieira admits it was a big decision for him to take the job, he has relished the challenge.

“It was a big task,” he tells Sky Sports News. “And, of course, I took time to make a decision, but I strongly believed that I had the capacity and the quality to make this football club remain in Serie A.

“I was impressed by their ambition to be relevant on the international stage, on and off the pitch. Serie A proved to be a very competitive league attracting many Premier League players, like Scott McTominay, Kyle Walker, Tammy Abraham, just to name a few. That’s why joining Genoa has been a fascinating challenge.”

At 48 years old, Vieira has already worked at clubs in four different countries – New York in the USA, Nice and Strasbourg in France, Crystal Palace in England and now Italy’s Genoa. He admits each has been a huge learning curve.

“I think in every club that I’ve been to, I had a huge reflection on myself as a coach, as a manager. And, today, I am a different coach, different manager because those experiences make me reflect on myself about what to do to improve myself, to challenge myself and to be better.”

Vieira is also quick to draw a clear line between his glittering playing career and coaching, and hopes he is still in the early stages of this chapter of his footballing life.

“When I decided to go into that journey, it was important for me to understand how long I wanted to be in the job,” he says.

“And when I decided to go into coaching, I was clear in my mind that I wanted to do it for a long time. But, to do that, you need to build credibility, you need to build experience.

“At [Manchester] City, I was at the right place at the right time, and they gave me the opportunity to grow, to understand the job, and to start with the U21s, the development group, and then to have this kind of professional experience in New York.

“That really helped me to build myself on the coaching basics about the football that I want to play, the coach that I want to be, and I’m making steps forward with all those experiences that I had so far.”

The Frenchman played most of his career under Arsene Wenger, but also worked with Fabio Capello, Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho. All have made their mark on him, but he admits he is very much his own man.

“I want to be different than them,” he says. “Of course, those experiences that I had with them will help me to be even a better coach.

“But I have my ideas, I have my personality, and I want to be myself. I want to feel comfortable on the side of the field. I want to express myself with my strength and my ideas. And, of course, I want to be me.”

Veira adds: “I think the modern-day coach has to be innovative, has to learn from himself about what he can improve, about how do you want to play the games, the tactical elements that you want to use to improve players individually but collectively as well.

“I had the chance to coach in France, to coach in England, and today to be in Italy. So, to learn different cultures, the different languages, different types and profiles of football. So, those experiences will help me to be even better.”

It is over two years since Vieira last managed in the Premier League. He was sacked by Crystal Palace after failing to build on his first season at Selhurst Park when he guided them to a 12th-placed finish in the league and an FA Cup semi-final.

However, Vieira is backing his former club to spring a surprise in this weekend’s FA Cup final against Manchester City. “They can do it,” he insists.

“I think when you look at Crystal Palace, the manager, the organisation, the way they play, I think this is a team that can beat any team in the Premier League.

“They have the support that’s going to be behind the team, they have the quality, and they have what it takes to win the competition.

“Even if everybody is expecting Manchester City to win, I think they are the favourites, but Palace can pull something there to win the cup.”