The Crystal Palace boss was a keynote interviewee at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit looking at why there are so few black people in positions of power in the game.
Vieira is currently the only black manager in the Premier League while just 4% of coaches in the top four divisions are black, including Burnley boss and former City captain Vincent Kompany.
He played alongside Kompany and coached in City’s Academy and CFG club New York City FC before Crystal Palace.
And the 46-year-old said their time at the Club was a factor in why they have gone onto manage at the highest level with the Clarets top of the Championship and in the FA Cup quarter-finals where they will travel to the Etihad Stadium.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence [Vincent and I are in management],” Vieira said. “I think it’s the leadership of Vincent, the way he grew up at Manchester City. I think when you grow up in in the football Club as a player, you take responsibility as a captain, as a leader.
“And there is a belief, there is a confidence people from this football club give to those players and you can see what Vincent is doing at Burnley, but you can see some of the players on TV who have this kind of presence to express themselves and give their opinions.
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“That’s why I think a football club has a big responsibility to develop those players and the people they have in a football club, not just on the field but off the field as well.”
After making his last appearance in City’s 2011 FA Cup triumph, Vieira moved into coaching at City’s Academy, before taking charge of the EDS squad.
He then moved to New York City FC in the United States before a spell back in France with Nice before taking over an exciting and talented Palace squad.
“First of all, I never really thought about being a manager,” he said. “But finishing my career at Manchester City, I was surrounded by people who wanted me to bring my experience to the game.
“Garry Cooke at the time, Ferran Soriano now, Brian Marwood, they wanted me to stay at the football Club and bring my experience.
“And through the journey I went with Manchester City, I spent time in the Academy and when the opportunity was there, they gave me the Under-21s for me to really understand if I really wanted to do that.
“That opportunity was really important because this is when I realised that going into coaching was something that would suit me and something I really wanted to do.”
Despite the success of Vieira and Kompany, there is still under-representation of black people in senior positions in football, particularly compared to on the pitch where 43% of players in the Premier League are black.
Kolo Toure was recently in charge at Wigan and Vieira hopes that his brother Yaya, who is currently a coach at Tottenham, will be given an opportunity in management, but says more needs to be done to help black coaches.
“I think it’s quite disturbing really and really difficult to understand,” he said. “When you mention those stats, and looking at the number of minorities or black players you have, and you see how many stay in the game in any kind of positions it’s difficult to understand.
“I went through [it] in my head and tried to understand the reason why. I think it’s something we have to talk about and this is why I am here today. It is something that has to change.
“I strongly believe that the passion for the game is still there and after playing on the field to stay in the game and to do something around the game, I think there is an opportunity there for us to stay in the game.
“I think that those opportunities are not there for us and that is something that has to change.”
On Yaya Toure, he added: “I think Yaya going through the journey with the youth to really understand who he is and which kind of manager he wants to be is the right step.”
Vieira hopes that he can act as a role model to encourage black players to consider a career in management and coaching in the future.
“I think Vincent, like myself, like Chris Hughton as well, we can be a positive example for this new generation who want to go into coaching,” he added.
“And I think you always need a role model growing up. If we can be a good role models for those young players, that will be really good. But, having Vincent, I think things start to change, slowly, too slowly for me.
“But, hopefully in the next couple of years we will have more of the Vincent Kompanys.”
