Senegal’s Football Federation (FSF) may have announced Patrick Vieira as their new head coach before his contract was legally completed, with an executive committee member saying the two parties have reached only an “agreement in principle”.
Bakary Cisse told RFM that negotiations with the former France international were still continuing over the legal terms of the proposed appointment.
“We have an agreement in principle with Patrick Vieira,” Cisse said. “We are continuing discussions on the legal conditions.”
His comments suggest that, when the FSF presented Vieira as Senegal’s new manager through its official communications channels, the contractual process had not yet been fully concluded.
An agreement in principle is not the same as a formal signature, and a change of direction remains theoretically possible until every contractual clause has been approved. If Cisse’s account is confirmed, the federation’s communications department appears to have made the announcement prematurely.
Vieira has also yet to make any public statement confirming that he has accepted the role. During his time in Senegal, the former international midfielder posted several photographs from the country, including a family visit to Bandia Ranch.
He also used the caption “Lions of Teranga” on Instagram during a safari. However, the lions in question were actual wild animals rather than Sadio Mane and his Senegal team-mates. Although the wording could be interpreted as a possible reference to his future role, it did not amount to a formal announcement.
Vieira later travelled to Cape Verde, where his grandfather was from. At the time of publication, he had given no indication that a contract with the FSF had been officially completed.
His silence appears consistent with Cisse’s comments that the deal has not yet been entirely secured. If Vieira first learned of the federation’s public announcement before the legal negotiations had been concluded, he may have been surprised by the timing.
The appointment had already involved several compromises. Vieira is understood to have initially sought a monthly salary close to 100,000 euros, before the parties reached a reported compromise of about 35 million CFA francs per month, equivalent to slightly more than half of that original figure.
Questions had also arisen over Vieira’s profile and the make-up of his coaching staff. Abdoulaye Fall had initially wanted to give the Frenchman wide autonomy, but encountered reservations from the FSF’s executive committee.
The latest uncertainty could create further criticism of the federation, which has already faced strong scrutiny over its management in recent months, particularly since the World Cup.
Senegal will now hope that the agreement in principle quickly becomes a final contract, both to provide certainty over the national team’s preparation and to protect the credibility of the country’s football administration.
