Reaction: Patrick Viera "a finalist" for Atlanta United head coaching position

It appears Atlanta United is closing in on a new head coach.

Friend of the Show Tom Bogert dropped a tasty little nugget for Atlanta United fans today by naming Arsenal legend and ex-NYCFC manager Patrick Viera “a finalist” for the Atlanta United job.

Doug McIntyre of Yahoo! Sports reported on Aug. 9 that contact between the parties had occurred.

Viera remains an ambitious young coach despite ejecting from his most recent job at Strasbourg after a single year where friction grew on and off the field. (We’ll talk more about this on our next FSF.) He was considered a favorite for the job by fans and pundits alike given his availability and familiarity with MLS, where he guided NYCFC to a fourth- and second-place finish in his two full seasons at the club in 2016 and 2017.

In his reporting, Bogert calls Viera “a finalist,” which would seem to be an indication that the club is narrowing down it’s list of contenders, however broad that list may have been. Indeed, a report like this could even suggest that they two parties are even further advanced in the hiring process.

So with that, it’s worth considering what Viera would bring to the table for Atlanta United’s roster.

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