New Shanghai SIPG boss Vitor Pereira eyes silverware after replacing Andre Villas-Boas
Man once assistant to Andre Villas Boas at Porto is unveiled as his replacement, reuniting with star forward Hulk
New Shanghai SIPG boss Vitor Pereira wants to go one better than predecessor Andre Villas-Boas by winning a title after being named coach of the big-spending Chinese Super League side on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old, who was once assistant to Villas-Boas at Porto, has been out of football since leaving 1860 Munich following relegation to the German third tier in May.
Pereira, who had notoriously poor relations with Dutch striker Robin van Persie before being sacked by Turkish giants Fenerbahce in August 2016, is tasked with breaking Guangzhou Evergrande’s stranglehold on the CSL.
Villas-Boas left SIPG two weeks ago after a turbulent season failed to yield a trophy despite reaching the last four of the Asian Champions League, the final of the Chinese FA Cup and coming second behind Guangzhou in the CSL.
“The Chinese league is a big challenge at the moment, a lot of (foreign) coaches come here, a lot of good players come to this league at this moment,” said Pereira, who plans to speak to his fellow Portuguese and “friend” Villas-Boas about the job.
“I will do my best to help the club to fight to achieve our goals. I know what the club wants and I know what I want for my career, and both of us want to win titles,” he told a press conference at his unveiling.
“This is the main reason why I decided to come here to China, to Shanghai. Together, for sure, we will reach our targets at the end of the season.”
