Wolves Appoint Former Porto Manager Vitor Pereira Amidst Premier League Struggles

Premier League club Wolves, currently in a difficult period, has announced the appointment of Vitor Pereira, previously manager of Porto, as their new head coach. The experienced Portuguese coach, who has also managed Fenerbahce, 1860 Munich, and Corinthians, joins on an 18-month contract from Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab. Wolves will pay approximately £825,000 in compensation for his services. Pereira takes over from Gary O’Neil, who was dismissed on Sunday following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Ipswich, a result that left Wolves second from the bottom of the Premier League table. Pereira commenced his first training session with the team on Thursday. His inaugural match as head coach will be Sunday’s away fixture against Leicester, a club currently positioned 17th in the table and holding a five-point advantage over Wolves. For several weeks, Wolves had been evaluating potential candidates for the coaching role, reportedly contacting individuals such as former West Ham manager David Moyes. Pereira rapidly emerged as the leading candidate. He arrives at Wolves with a track record of success, including Primeira Liga titles with Porto in 2012 and 2013, and the Greek Super League title with Olympiakos in 2015. Prior to this appointment, he had managed Al-Shabab since February, departing with the club in sixth place in the Saudi Pro League. The 56-year-old coach succeeds O’Neil, who had been appointed at Molineux in August 2023. Under O’Neil, Wolves had recorded 11 losses in their 16 Premier League matches this season. The team has secured only two victories this season, against Southampton and Fulham, placing their seven-year tenure in the Premier League at risk. Wolves chairman Jeff Shi commented on the appointment, stating: “Vitor is a highly respected and experienced coach who has achieved success across different leagues and will bring a new approach for the test ahead. This is a challenging moment for the club, and we want to thank Vitor for taking on this responsibility. We have full confidence in his ability to guide us back on track, alongside the players and staff, and the entire club will be united in supporting him to achieve success.”