Ex-Soccer Star Patrick Vieira Kicks Fan In Wild Altercation After Everton Game

Crazy scene following a Premier League game on Thursday ... ex-soccer star Patrick Vieira -- who now manages Crystal Palace -- kicked a fan in a wild altercation on the field.

It all went down after C.P. lost in heartbreaking fashion to Everton ... when a bunch of Toffees supporters stormed the pitch to celebrate their team's big win.

At one point in the chaos, one of the fans appeared to taunt Vieira -- and an altercation quickly ensued.

You can see in video, Vieira grabbed the man, took a swipe at the fan's face, and then kicked him so hard in the leg -- he fell to the turf.

Another fan then appeared to shove Vieira -- but, thankfully, others intervened ... and the fracas died down before it could escalate any further.

Vieira -- who starred for Arsenal from the late 1990s to 2005 and took over the Crystal Palace managerial role in 2021 -- was asked about the incident by reporters just minutes after it happened ... but he said, "I've got nothing to say on that."