Senegal’s Football Federation may have announced Patrick Vieira as the new coach of the national team before completing negotiations over his contract, according to a senior official within the organisation.
Bakary Cisse, a member of the Senegal Football Federation’s executive committee, said an agreement with the former France international remained preliminary and that discussions over the legal terms of the contract were still continuing.
“We have a preliminary agreement with Patrick Vieira,” Cisse told radio station RFM. He added: “We are continuing negotiations over the legal conditions.”
His comments have cast doubt on the status of the appointment, which had appeared to have been confirmed after the federation announced Vieira as the new manager of the Teranga Lions.
A social media post accompanying the announcement included the wording: « Nous avons un accord de principe avec Patrick Vieira » mais ca a balance quand meme un visuel comme quoi c’est notre nouvel entraineur. C’est ce monsieur qui a voulu avoir la plenitude de ses fonctions de charge de com de la FSF.
The statement suggests the federation’s announcement came before every contractual detail had been formally agreed. Although the two sides are understood to have reached an understanding on the broad outline of the deal, a preliminary agreement does not carry the same status as a completed and signed contract.
That leaves open the theoretical possibility of a change in circumstances while the legal provisions remain unresolved. The situation could prove embarrassing for the federation if the appointment is ultimately delayed or altered.
Vieira himself has not directly confirmed that he has taken charge of Senegal since the federation’s announcement. During a visit to the country, the French coach posted several photographs from his trip, including images of his family visiting the Bandia Reserve.
One of his Instagram posts was accompanied by the phrase “Teranga Lions”. However, the photographs showed real lions during a safari rather than members of the Senegal squad led by Sadio Mane. As a result, the wording could be interpreted in more than one way and did not amount to an official confirmation of his appointment.
Vieira later travelled to Cape Verde, where his grandfather’s family originated. He has not provided any further details to confirm that his contract with Senegal has been formally completed.
His silence appears consistent with Cisse’s account that the negotiations have not yet been concluded.
The talks were not straightforward. Vieira initially sought a monthly salary close to €100,000, but the two parties eventually reached a proposed settlement of about 35 million West African CFA francs per month. That figure is slightly more than half of his original demand.
The choice of Vieira and the composition of his coaching staff have also prompted debate within the federation. Abdoulaye Fall had wanted to give the former Arsenal and France midfielder broad autonomy, but members of the executive committee raised reservations about that approach.
For now, the federation’s announcement has put Vieira forward as Senegal’s next coach, but the comments from within the organisation indicate that the appointment still depends on the finalisation and approval of the contractual terms.
