The French World Cup winner spoke about a missed opportunity in his career, and provided anecdotes from his time at Inter under Jose Mourinho
Patrick Vieira enjoyed an illustrious career at both club and international level, but continues to live with one particular regret since hanging up his boots 15 years ago.
Vieira enjoyed a nine-year spell at Arsenal, and also played for other European giants such as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan. Internationally, he won the World Cup in 1998 and the 2000 European Championship with France.
At the peak of his career with the Gunners, Vieira was widely considered one of the best central midfielders in the world, astute in his defensive duties but also a superb ball-carrier for a player of his physical stature.
Despite winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, a European trophy always eluded him. Arsenal failed to win the Champions League despite boasting one of the strongest squads in Europe at the time, and also lost a UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray in 1999/2000.
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Vieira revealed the one regret that lives with him until today.
“Just one. Not joining Real Madrid,” Vieira said. Real Madrid were dominating in Europe around that time, winning the Champions League in 1999/2000 and in 2001/02, yet his love for Arsenal would not allow him to depart despite Los Blancos’ persistence.
“They tried to sign me for four years in a row while I was at Arsenal. The last year, I said yes – all the deals were finalised – but then I had second thoughts. I loved Arsenal too much,” he revealed.
Years later, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez brought up this very fact when Manchester City took on Los Merengues in the Champions League.
“When I went to Madrid as a Manchester City ambassador, he showed me a front-page article from MARCA about the transfer,” Vieira said.
Suggested Articles
“He said to me, ‘You were the only player who turned down Real Madrid.’”
Vieira backs Mourinho for Real Madrid return
Now, Pérez is working on bringing José Mourinho back to Real Madrid in a bid to restore order in a broken dressing room.
Vieira, who worked under the Portuguese in his time at Inter, backs the idea.
“He might be the right man for the job,” Vieira said. “He knows how to handle champions. We haven’t always gotten along, but over time I’ve come to realise that he was right.”
Vieira revealed a story from their time together at Inter that, according to him, made him realise why the Portuguese tactician generally knows best.
“He told me what I didn’t want to hear. Let me tell you a story. March 2009, the Manchester United vs. Inter match,” he began.
“I was coming back from an injury, and Mourinho told me, ‘I need you in the starting lineup; you’ll play 60 minutes.’
“Four minutes in, I lost track of [Nemanja] Vidic, who scored, and at half-time I saw the substitutions on the board. Me out, Muntari in.
“The next day I went to his office. He hadn’t kept his promise of 60 minutes. And he told me, ‘You didn’t play well; I have to do what’s best for the team.’ Today, as a coach, I say he was right.”
