Vieira appointed head coach of OGC Nice

Paris  :  Former France captain Patrick Vieira has been appointed the head coach of OGC Nice, the French football club announced on Monday, without revealing further details.

Nice is to be Vieira's first European experience as head coach, after spending his last few seasons leading New York City FC. He succeeds Lucien Favre, who joined German club Borussia Dortmund, reports Efe.

The club's president, Jean-Pierre Rivere, said they were looking for "a coach with the ability to continue to produce attractive football, to bring through youngsters by taking risks to help them grow, and someone who lives and breathes to win".

Over the past few days, French media speculated on a contract linking Vieira with Nice for three years.

He had also been linked with a deal to replace his countryman Arsene Wenger at Arsenal -- a team Vieira played for between 1996 and 2005 -- but the London club's owners ultimately decided to hire Unai Emery of Spain.