The search for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ new manager goes on.
The Old Gold sacked Vitor Pereira last week after picking up just two points all season, as they look to salvage the campaign and avoid relegation to the Championship.
There have been a few names bandied about when it comes to who could replace Pereira in the hot seat at Molineux.
Former manager Gary O’Neill, who was only sacked last December, came under consideration, but pulled out of the race. There are also suggestions that Erik ten Hag and Michael Carrick are two options for the club.
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However, a new contender has emerged in recent hours.
The latest manager to be linked with Wolves
It was clear that Wolves needed to bring in a new manager, with Pereira struggling to get the best out of his squad.
However, his replacement is something they must get spot on, as they look to get their first win of the season.
Well, according to Football FanCast sources, the higher-ups at Molineux have sounded out a move for former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria.
The West Midlands outfit is said to be a job that the 55-year-old would be open to taking over.
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Vitoria has not been out of a job long, having managed Panathinaikos most recently, who sacked him in September.
Why Vitoria would be a good appointment for Wolves
It is perhaps a bit of a red flag for Wolves fans that Pereira has struggled in his last three jobs. The Portuguese manager, who hails from just outside of Lisbon, has had three jobs in the last four years.
Rui Vitoria
One of those was as head coach of the Egyptian national team. He coached them in 18 games and was sacked after crashing out of AFCON at the round of 16 stage. The role before that was at Spartak Moscow, where he lasted 26 games, and his latest job at Panathinaikos saw him manage 43 matches.
Yet, the 55-year-old has seen success at previous clubs. Said to favour an attacking 4-3-3 formation, his best spell came as Benfica boss, where he won four major honours. That included back-to-back Portuguese top-flight titles in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns.
Rui Vitoria Benfica
One man who thought highly of Vitoria’s reign was Pep Guardiola, who said his team was "worthy of Arrigo Sacchi," the legendary former AC Milan manager.
The pair met in the Champions League when Guardiola was in charge of Bayern Munich, and although Benfica were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate, Vitoria clearly left a strong impression.
Indeed, his record at Benfica was certainly impressive. He took charge of 183 games for the club and had an excellent win rate of 68%. That saw him lead his side to victory on 125 occasions.
Vitoria record as Benfica manager
Stat
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
Win rate
Goals for
Goals against
Stats from Transfermarkt
It is easy to draw comparisons between the potential new Wolves boss and one of their best from the FOSUN era, Nuno Espirito Santo.
Now at West Ham United, the ex-Old Gold manager took charge of 199 games at Molineux and was a huge success story.
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Nuno was adored by the Wolves faithful. Not only did he guide them back to the Premier League in 2017/18, but he even led them to the Europa League. He certainly brought happier times to Molineux during his time there.
Like Vitoria, the former Wolves manager learnt his craft in his native Portugal. He began at Rio Ave, and then managed FC Porto, with a spell at Valencia in between, before moving to Molineux and starting his dynasty.
Well, via a few more clubs, that is a similar route to what Vitoria will be taking if he gets the job at Molineux. Making a name for themselves in Portugal is something the two managers have in common, and Vitoria will be hoping he can earn the same level of adoration Nuno got at Wolves.