# Vítor Pereira (footballer, born 1968)

Vítor Manuel de Oliveira Lopes Pereira (born 26 July 1968) is a Portuguese football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the head coach of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Following an amateur playing career, he became manager of Porto, where he won the Primeira Liga in both of his seasons. After leaving in 2013 he worked in several countries, winning a Greek league and cup double with Olympiacos in 2015 and the Chinese Super League with Shanghai SIPG in 2018.

## Football career
### Early career

Born in Espinho, Pereira only played amateur football, and retired at the age of 28. He started managing at junior level, and his first head coach experience arrived midway through the 2004–05 season, when he was appointed at Sanjoanense in the third division.
Subsequently, Pereira worked with Espinho of the same league, being fired with ten games left in his second campaign and returning to Porto's juniors for a further season. In 2008 he returned to head coaching again, with Santa Clara in the Segunda Liga, leading the Azores side to the third position in his first year and the fourth in the second, on both occasions narrowly missing out on Primeira Liga promotion.

### Porto

In the summer of 2010, Pereira left Santa Clara to become assistant manager to André Villas-Boas at Porto. On 21 June 2011, following the head coach's departure to Chelsea, he was promoted to first-team manager, winning his first official match – and title – 2–1 against Vitória de Guimarães in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
Despite a less than stellar performance both in Europe – being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage and in the UEFA Europa League's round of 32– and in the Taça de Portugal, Pereira led the club to the league title in his first season in charge. In March 2013, following the team's elimination from Champions League contention (2–1 on aggregate against Málaga), he came under heavy criticism, notably due to his decision of benching James Rodríguez during the first half of both legs. The Colombian stated his disappointment in the coach's decision, but said that he respected him and trusted his reasons, adding that the situation was possibly created because of his questionable fitness, even though he claimed to be 100% fit.
In early May 2013, as Porto ranked second in the league, Pereira deemed the Portuguese league as a "dirty competition". Only a few days later, after his team defeated Benfica at home to surpass its opponents – eventually winning the league title, conceding six draws in 30 games– he considered it to be a "highly competitive and prestigious league".

### Five clubs in eight years

In late May 2013, Pereira was interviewed for the vacant job at Premier League club Everton, but eventually signed a two-year deal with Al Ahli of the Saudi Professional League. On 7 January 2015 he moved countries again, replacing the fired Míchel at the helm of Olympiacos and eventually winning the double.
On 10 June 2015, Olympiacos announced a mutual contract termination with Pereira. The following day, he was appointed at Fenerbahçe for two years.
The Turkish side cut ties unilaterally with Pereira on 15 August 2016, with the case being subsequently taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 18 December, he was named head coach of 1860 Munich in the German 2. Bundesliga, with the one-and-a-half-year deal being made effective the following 1 January. The team finished the season third from bottom, and eventually got relegated on 30 May 2017 after a 3–1 loss aggregate loss to SSV Jahn Regensburg in the play-offs.
Pereira became the manager of Shanghai SIPG on 12 December 2017, replacing Villas-Boas at the Chinese Super League club. In his debut campaign, he guided them to their first-ever title in the competition. In December 2019 he turned down a new approach from Everton and, one year later, left Shanghai.
Pereira returned to Fenerbahçe on 2 July 2021, on a two-year contract. He was sacked on 20 December after a 2–2 home draw with Istanbul rivals Beşiktaş; his side were in fifth position and 14 points behind leaders Trabzonspor. A month later, he was again linked with Everton as owner Farhad Moshiri's lead candidate, prompting anger and vandalism from fans who saw him as inadequate and wanted eventual appointee Frank Lampard instead; he defended his reputation in an interview on Sky Sports News.

### Corinthians

On 23 February 2022, Pereira was announced as head coach of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Corinthians, signing until the end of the year. He lost to an opening-minute goal away to rivals São Paulo on his Campeonato Paulista debut a week later, and the state championship ended with a 2–1 semi-final loss to the same opponents.
In October 2022, Pereira's team lost the final of the Copa do Brasil on penalties to Flamengo. Just hours after the last match of the season on 13 November, it was announced that he would not renew his contract. He said in a social media post that he had to return home due to his mother-in-law's health.

### Flamengo

Shortly after leaving Corinthians, Pereira was appointed at Flamengo also of the Brazilian top flight. On 28 January 2023, his team lost the Supercopa do Brasil 4–3 to Palmeiras. His second defeat took place on 7 February, 3–2 against Al Hilal in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup after playing the entire second half with one player less. Later that month, they were beaten on penalties by Ecuador's Independiente del Valle in the Recopa Sudamericana (1–1 over two legs).
Pereira was dismissed on 11 April 2023, two days after losing 4–3 on aggregate to rivals Fluminense in the Campeonato Carioca.

### Al Shabab

Pereira returned to the Saudi Pro League on 4 February 2024, replacing the fired Igor Bišćan at Al Shabab on at a deal until the end of the season. He took charge of the side when they were just four points above the relegation zone and led them to eighth place, subsequently renewing his contract until June 2025.

### Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 19 December 2024, Pereira was appointed at Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a contract lasting until June 2026; he replaced Gary O'Neil with the task of avoiding relegation, with the team in 19th place and with just nine points from 16 matches. On his debut three days later, he oversaw a 3–0 away win over Leicester City.

## Managerial statistics

    As of match played 15 March 2025
Managerial record by team and tenure :
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | Nat | From | To | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Sanjoanense | | 30 November 2004 | 30 May 2005 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 037.50 |
| Espinho | | 31 May 2005 | 19 March 2007 | 51 | 25 | 17 | 9 | 72 | 42 | +30 | 049.02 |
| Santa Clara | | 1 June 2008 | 3 June 2010 | 73 | 34 | 21 | 18 | 104 | 74 | +30 | 046.58 |
| Porto | | 22 June 2011 | 7 June 2013 | 93 | 65 | 16 | 12 | 190 | 67 | +123 | 069.89 |
| Al Ahli | | 1 July 2013 | 4 May 2014 | 37 | 19 | 10 | 8 | 70 | 35 | +35 | 051.35 |
| Olympiacos | | 8 January 2015 | 10 June 2015 | 27 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 66 | 18 | +48 | 066.67 |
| Fenerbahçe | | 11 June 2015 | 15 August 2016 | 62 | 38 | 15 | 9 | 106 | 54 | +52 | 061.29 |
| 1860 Munich | | 1 January 2017 | 31 May 2017 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 030.00 |
| Shanghai SIPG | | 12 December 2017 | 31 December 2020 | 118 | 69 | 27 | 22 | 229 | 124 | +105 | 058.47 |
| Fenerbahçe | | 2 July 2021 | 20 December 2021 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 044.00 |
| Corinthians | | 23 February 2022 | 31 December 2022 | 64 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 75 | 57 | +18 | 040.63 |
| Flamengo | | 1 January 2023 | 11 April 2023 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 36 | 24 | +12 | 055.56 |
| Al Shabab | | 4 February 2024 | 19 December 2024 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 053.33 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | | 19 December 2024 | Present | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 20 | +1 | 043.75 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 658 | 353 | 158 | 147 | 1,103 | 627 | +476 | 053.65 |

## Honours

Porto
* Primeira Liga: 2011–12, 2012–13
* Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2011, 2012
* Taça da Liga runner-up: 2012–13
* UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2011
Al-Ahli
* King Cup of Champions runner-up: 2014
Olympiacos
* Super League Greece: 2014–15
* Greek Football Cup: 2014–15
Shanghai SIPG
* Chinese Super League: 2018
* Chinese FA Super Cup: 2019
Corinthians
* Copa do Brasil runner-up: 2022
Flamengo
* Recopa Sudamericana runner-up: 2023
* Supercopa do Brasil runner-up: 2023
* Campeonato Carioca runner-up: 2023
Individual
* Saudi Pro League Manager of the Month: April 2024