Wolverhampton Wanderers, commonly known as Wolves, have announced the dismissal of their head coach Vitor Pereira. The decision comes after a disappointing start to the season with the team failing to secure a win in any of their first 10 Premier League games.
The final straw was a 3-0 defeat by Fulham on Saturday, marking Wolves' eighth loss in this top-flight campaign. This series of defeats has left them at the bottom of the table, eight points away from safety.
Pereira took over as head coach in December 2024 and signed a new three-year contract just last month. However, following a 3-2 loss to Burnley last week, some supporters turned against him leading to heated discussions post-match at Molineux.
Club statement on leadership change
In an official statement released by the club which also confirmed that all eight members of Pereira's backroom staff have left, it was stated that "results and performances this term have fallen below acceptable standards and as a result a change in leadership was deemed necessary".
Executive chairman Jeff Shi expressed his gratitude towards Pereira for guiding them through challenging times last season but acknowledged that "the start to this season has been disappointing".
Executive chairman, Jeff Shi, said:
"Vitor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful. Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change."
As per club statement James Collins and Richard Walker who are currently serving as head coaches for Wolves' under-21 and under-18 teams respectively will take over training while they finalize appointing new first-team head coach. Despite their poor league performance so far this season, Wolves managed victories against West Ham and Everton in Carabao Cup before being knocked out by Chelsea in round 16.
Pereira's regret and future speculations
BBC Sport reports that Pereira was informed of his dismissal on Sunday morning, and the new contract he signed in September will not be paid in full. It is also reported that he regrets not leaving before the start of the season.
Pereira had taken over Wolves when they were 19th in December last year, successfully guiding them to a safe 16th position finish. However, this summer saw several key players leave including Matheus Cunha who moved to Manchester United for £62.5m, Rayan Ait-Nouri joining Manchester City for £31m and captain Nelson Semedo departing for Fenerbahce after his contract expired.
The future of Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen has also been a subject of speculation which added to Wolves' difficult start this season along with Pereira trying to integrate six new recruits into the team. In recent weeks, fans have also expressed their dissatisfaction towards Shi and owners Fosun with chants aimed at them during Saturday's match at Craven Cottage.
