Patrick Vieira could find himself in Toronto hotseat after being sacked by Nice

Patrick Vieira may return to managerial duties sooner than expected after being sacked from Ligue 1 club Nice on Friday.

MLS side Toronto FC are said to be interested in the Frenchman’s services, having named his as one of their two potential candidates. 

It is believed Toronto FC president Bill Manning will host a Zoom conference later this week to discuss the appointment of either Vieira or former Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc. 

Patrick Vieira was sacked by Nice on Friday after a disastrous run of five straight defeats 

Nice confirmed the dismissal of Vieira after a dire run of five straight defeats and a shock Europa League exit.

The French side released a statement on Friday morning confirming that his Romanian assistant Adrian Ursea will take charge as they look for a new manager. 

In it, the club stated that the decision to let the former Arsenal captain go had been reached after showdown talks on Thursday night, following the Europa League defeat by Bayer Leverkusen, which sealed their exit from this year’s competition.

It came as a bitter blow for Vieira, who has been linked as a potential candidate for future posts with one of the Premier League’s Big Six. 

Vieira has since become one of two potential candidates for the Toronto FC head coach role

He will face competition from former Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc (above)

However, his dismissal from Nice has opened up an opportunity in America, as the Toronto Sun have reported that Vieira is one of the two front runners for the Toronto job. 

Vieira has previous experience in MLS, having began his managerial career in America at the helm of New York City’s side in 2016. 

The club thrived under his tutelage, landing a place in the playoff semi-finals in his first season and developing a 44 per cent win average in his first two years in charge.

Should Vieira receive the job, he would have big shoes to fill following the rein of Greg Vanney, who accomplished every domestic honour available during his six years with the club. 

Vanney is said to be departing Toronto as he is first in line to take over as the LA Galaxy manager.   

Toronto FC are looking to replace their current manager Greg Vanney who is said to be leaving

Vanney is departing Toronto as he is first inline for the LA Galaxy role as their head coach

Vieira will face competition from Blanc for the Toronto role. Blanc won league titles and domestic cups with both PSG and Bordeaux. 

However, the 55-year-old former Manchester United defender has been out of duty since he left PSG four years ago.   

Toronto FC president Bill Manning will ‘gauge interest’ in the post during a zoom call later this week. 

It has been reported that general manager Ali Curtis is ‘really interested’ in both Vieira and Blanc as potential replacements.

Manning told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday that he plans to remain impartial, saying: ‘Ali and I have agreed that we’re not going to tip our hat one way or the other.’