(Reuters) -Wolverhampton Wanderers have named Vitor Pereira as head coach on an 18-month deal, the Premier League club said on Thursday, hoping the Portuguese can guide them out of the relegation zone.
The 56-year-old replaces Gary O’Neil, who was sacked on Sunday after a four-game losing run in the league left them second-bottom of the table with nine points from 16 matches following Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by promoted Ipswich Town.
Pereira, who is the Midlands club’s third Portuguese manager after Nuno Espirito Santo and Bruno Lage, takes over a team who are five points adrift of the safety zone.
“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 club said in a statement.
Pereira faces a tough task to get Wolves’ season back on track, with the team having the worst defence in the league after conceding 40 goals.
“This is a challenging moment for the club, and we want to thank Vitor for taking on this responsibility,” Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said.
“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.”
Wolves’ next game is at 17th-placed Leicester City on Sunday, with tougher fixtures coming up against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur later this month.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ken Ferris)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.