Sky Sports Wolves confirm new boss Vitor Pereira after sacking Gary O’Neil following Ipswich chaos.

Gary O’Neil was fired by Wolves on Sunday following a 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town, which culminated in turmoil when several of his players began brawling on the pitch.

Wolves have appointed Vitor Pereira as their new manager after dismissing Gary O’Neill.

O’Neil, 41, was anticipated to lose his job after a 2-1 loss to West Ham last week, dubbed ‘El Sackio’. Despite a stay of execution, he lost his position as head coach after a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich on Saturday.

The loss sent the Midlanders to 19th place in the Premier League relegation zone, four points from safety. However, the game was also notable for the commotion that ensued after the final whistle.

At the final whistle, boos rained down from Molineux’s home supporters, with Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri getting into separate fights. Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card in the tunnel, and Cunha is facing FA disciplinary action for his post-game actions involving an Ipswich member of staff.

Wolves have now moved to employ Pereira, who has agreed to an 18-month contract with the club. According to a club release, the 56-year-old brings a plethora of experience to the post at Molineux, having won league championships in Portugal, Greece, and China.

Pereira, who left Saudi Pro League team Al Shabab, began training at Compton Park on Thursday and will lead Wolves against Leicester City this weekend.

“The Portuguese began his coaching career at Sanjoanense in 2004, one of 13 management roles he has held, including Olympiacos and Porto. Pereira won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles with Porto in 2012 and 2013, losing only one league match over two seasons, and he had similar success in Greece, leading Olympiacos to the Super League title in 2015.

“Pereira’s managerial career took him to Turkey and Germany before winning a fourth league title with Shanghai SIPG in 2018.” Pereira briefly worked with current Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes when at Flamengo, and he spent the bulk of 2024 in Saudi Arabia, but he is now making his Premier League debut.”

Chairman Jeff Shi stated, “We are happy to welcome Vitor Pereira to Wolves as the new head coach of our men’s first team. Vitor is a well recognized and experienced coach who has had success in many levels and will offer a fresh perspective to the challenge ahead.

“This is a hard time for the club, and we want to thank Vitor for accepting this responsibility. We are confident in his abilities to get us back on track, as are the players and staff, and the entire club will work together to help him succeed.”

Sporting director Matt Hobbs stated, “Vitor is a highly experienced and accomplished head coach who has proven his ability to succeed at the highest level.” His attitude, passion, and leadership characteristics stood out to us during the process, and we’re thrilled to see how he utilizes his knowledge 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.”

Wolves issued a statement following O’Neil’s dismissal, saying: “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.”

Jeff Shi, our chairman, commented: “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.”

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk