Wolves have appointed Vito Pereira as their new manager following the sacking of Gary O’Neill.
Pereira signed a one-and-a-half-year contract after negotiating compensation of just over £800,000 with Saudi Professional League side Al Shabab for his exit.
The 56-year-old trained on Thursday and will be in charge for Sunday’s trip to Leicester.
“We are delighted to welcome Vitor Pereira as the new manager of our men’s first team,” Wolves chairman Jeff See said.
“Vitor is a highly respected and experienced coach with success across a variety of leagues and will bring a fresh approach to the trials ahead.
Vitor Pereira has signed a one-and-a-half year contract with Molineux.
“This is a difficult moment for the club and we would like to thank Vitor for taking on this responsibility.
“We have full confidence in his ability, along with the players and staff, to get us back on track and the whole club will support him to succeed.”
O’Neill was sacked on Sunday following Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 defeat to Ipswich at Molineux, followed by a brawl that saw Rayan Aitnouri removed from the pitch and Matheus Cunha charged with misconduct by the FA.
The result leaves Wolves 19th in the Premier League table. This leaves them five points behind 17th-placed Leicester, who play away on Sunday.
Sky Sports News Wolves were willing to pay Pereira’s release clause and the 56-year-old, who has won league titles in three countries with Porto, Olympiacos and Shanghai, is said to be keen on a move to Molineux.
Pereira, who has been in charge of Al-Shabaab since February, was linked with the job as Everton manager in early 2022, but Toffees fans made their opposition clear with protests and Frank Lampard was appointed instead.
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Sky Sports Peter Smith looks at the statistics behind Wolves’ defensive performance and highlights the need for them to improve quickly to avoid relegation.
Analysis: Who is Vitor Pereira?
Writer Adam Bate appears on Sky Sports:
Wolves’ appointment of Pereira brings the Portuguese manager’s workload to double figures since leaving Porto in 2013. Ten years ago, Pereira was briefly regarded as one of Europe’s brightest coaching prospects.
His achievements at Porto were repeated. He inherited a team that went on to become undefeated champions under André Villas-Boas, winning the title in each of his two seasons. Pereira’s final season was particularly impressive as Porto went undefeated again.
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WATCH FREE: Highlights from Ipswich’s win over Wolves in the Premier League
He won the title with Olympiacos in Greece and the Chinese Super League during his time in Shanghai, but he also had a turbulent period in charge of Fenerbahce and an ill-fated attempt to retain 1860 Munich’s status in the German second tier.
Having spent more than a year in Brazil, working for two big clubs in Corinthians and Flamengo, Pereira has the pedigree, but there are also risks to his eligibility considering this is his first job in one of Europe’s top five major leagues.
There are factors working in his favor. Wolves were promoted to the Premier League by Portuguese coaches under coach Nuno Espirito Santo, and have a history of achieving top finishes in the competition under Nuno and his successor Bruno Lage.
The composition of Wolves’ squad still reflects that influence. As many as eight players in O’Neill’s squad for his final game against Ipswich have Portuguese as their first language, and that does not include suspended Brazil international midfielder Joao Gomes.
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Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz analyzes what Pereira could bring to Molineux.
Some of these players are key figures in the group, and Pereira is exactly what he needs by his side if he is to turn Wolves’ fortunes around. Nelson Semedo is now the team captain. Cunha is undoubtedly a star player. Improving Andre’s form could be important.
The problem for Pereira is that he has to act quickly. A loss to Leicester in their next game would leave Wolves seven points behind the team they must clear if they are to survive. If he is to succeed, instilling discipline and providing hope must happen quickly.
Wolves’ next six Premier League fixtures
leicester (a) – December 22nd, 2pm
man utd (h) – December 26, 5:30 PM
tottenham (a) – December 29th, 3pm
Nottingham Forest (h) – January 6, 8 PM – Sky Sports live broadcast
Newcastle (a) – January 15, 7:30 PM
chelsea (a) – January 20, 8 PM – Sky Sports live broadcast
What happened at Everton?
Pereira was on the verge of becoming Everton manager in January 2022, and even Sky Sports News to prevent protests from fans over his expected appointment. In the end, the Toffees chose Lampard instead.
“It was either him or Lampard.” Sky Sports News Journalist Alan Myers explains: “I think the fans liked Lampard more than him. They wanted Pereira out but he didn’t even go in!” But for a while it looked like Pereira had won over the Everton hierarchy.
“He was interviewed by Bill Kenwright and Bill was enthusiastic about it. He didn’t think he was right at first and ended up voting for Frank Lampard, but I remember him calling me and saying this was the most passionate and inspiring thing he could ever meet. A person who has.
“Bill said he was impeccable. He could have had dinner in a suit. He was a complete mess. I thought he would settle down at that point. The board vote ended up being unanimous in Lampard’s favor. But he almost did it.” .
“He was successful at Porto and built on that and won a few trophies, but since then he’s had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus. “He’s definitely a man who will light up the Premier League in many ways. He doesn’t flinch. “Go back to whatever he said.”
