Wolves have announced Vitor Pereira as their new manager after sacking Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil, 41, was expected to lose his job following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham last week, in a match which was dubbed ‘El Sackio’. But he was given a stay of execution, only to lose his role as head coach after a crushing 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich on Saturday.
The loss left the Midlanders slumped in 19th place in the Premier League relegation zone, four points off safety, but was also marked for the chaos that broke out after the final whistle.
Boos rained down from the home fans at Molineux at the final whistle, with Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri both involved in separate scuffles. Ait-Nouri was shown a second yellow card in the tunnel, while Cunha faces FA disciplinary proceedings over his conduct involving an Ipswich member of staff after the game.
And now Wolves have moved to hire Pereira, who has agreed an 18-month deal with the club. In a statement, the club said: “The 56-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the role at Molineux, having won league titles in Portugal, Greece and China.
(Image: Tullio Puglia – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“Pereira, who departs Saudi Pro League club Al Shabab, has taken training at Compton Park for the first time on Thursday and will be in charge when Wolves travel to Leicester City this weekend.
“The Portuguese began his coaching journey with Sanjoanensein 2004 – one of 13 managerial positions he’s held, including at Olympiacos and Porto. It was at Porto where he won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles in 2012 and 2013, losing just one league match across two seasons, and Pereira enjoyed similar success in Greece, guiding Olympiacos to the Super League title in 2015.
“Pereira’s managerial career took him to Turkey and Germany, before a fourth league title came with Shanghai SIPG in 2018. During his time with Flamengo Pereira briefly worked with now Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes and he’s spent the majority of 2024 in Saudi Arabia, but now he steps into the Premier League for the first time.”
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Chairman Jeff Shi said: “We are delighted to welcome Vitor Pereira to Wolves as the new head coach of our men’s first-team. 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.”
Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “Vitor is a highly experienced and accomplished head coach who has demonstrated his ability to succeed at the highest level. His personality, desire and leadership qualities stood out to us during this process, and we’re excited to see how he applies his expertise here at Wolves.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with Vitor and his team on a daily basis, supporting them in every way possible – from getting the maximum out of our staff at Compton, to recruitment in the upcoming transfer window – as we work together to strengthen the squad and achieve our collective goals.”
(Image: Alex Grimm – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
In a statement following O’Neil’s sacking, Wolves said: “O’Neil arrived at Molineux just three days before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season, taking on a significant challenge and ultimately guiding the Old Gold to a successful campaign.
“During his first season at the helm, Wolves beat Manchester City and won impressively at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as rivals West Bromwich Albion during a journey to the FA Cup quarter-finals.”
Chairman Jeff Shi said: “We’re very grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work during his time at the club, and we wish him and his team the best of luck for the future.”