Patrick Vieira pens emotional message after Strasbourg departure, hints major issue with club

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Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira penned a long message after his departure as the RC Strasbourg coach on Thursday (July 18).

The French manager cut his ties with the Ligue 1 club only after a season and thanked the fans with a huge statement.

It was a shock departure for the 48-year-old, who had a decent outing with Strasbourg. The French club managed to finish 13th in Ligue 1 and Vieira improved their position by 2 places.

"I wanted to let a few hours pass before speaking to you, racing lovers. As you know, by mutual agreement with the club, we have decided not to extend our collaboration beyond this summer. The time is not yet for explanations but for thanks. To all of you. Racing supporters. Every minute spent in this Meinau stadium allowed me to measure your deep attachment to these colors. You gave me moments of passion that I will not forget. Never doubt my love for RCSA. It was a source of immense pride for me to be the Racing coach," Vieira wrote in a statement on social media.

"I tried, until the end, in accordance with my convictions and my values, to live up to the confidence felt on a daily basis. And my pride, in this first year of a new era marked by the implementation of a youth development policy, will have been to succeed in my task. I couldn't have done it without you, supporters. Nor without the staff and employees that I was able to meet day after day. And whose total commitment I would like to salute, through these lines. There are too many of them for me to cite them by name, but if Racing is an institution of French football, it is thanks to them and to you, supporters," the statement added.

The Frenchman went on to thank his players for their support and wished them the best. Vieira's above statement clearly denotes a different issue behind his departure. Despite being such a force at the club who initiated many long-term projects, Vieira's sudden exit will raise a lot of questions. Also, the France legend mentioned that he won't delve into the details behind his parting, which indicates trouble as well.