WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently struggling in the Premier League, announced the appointment of the experienced coach Vitor Pereira on Thursday, following his decision to leave Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia.

The 56-year-old Portuguese manager steps into a challenging role, taking over a team that finds itself in the relegation zone with only two victories out of 16 matches. With the halfway mark of the season approaching, Wolves sit five points adrift of safety.

Gary O’Neil was dismissed on Sunday after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town, a critical match against a fellow relegation contender, and he had been at the helm for 16 months.

Wolverhampton activated the release clause in Pereira’s contract with Al Shabab to bring him on board. Over the past 15 years, he has amassed coaching experience across various countries, including Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Germany, China, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia.

His tenure at Porto stands out as the most fruitful, where he led the club to league titles in 2012 and 2013, achieving an incredible record of just one defeat across both seasons.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi expressed optimism about Pereira’s appointment, stating that he “will bring a new approach for the test ahead.” He acknowledged the current difficulties the club is facing and expressed gratitude to Pereira for accepting the responsibility of managing the team. Shi also conveyed full confidence in Pereira’s ability to steer the club back to better form.

The newly appointed coach has committed to an 18-month contract. He is set to make his debut in charge of the team against Leicester on Saturday.