Everton came within touching distance of appointing Vitor Pereira as their new boss in January 2022, and the current Al-Shabab head coach has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT that he is keen to test himself in the Premier League after being beaten to the Goodison Park hot-seat by Frank Lampard.
Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri was on the lookout for fresh impetus in the dugout after opting to sack Rafael Benitez just six-and-a-half months into his reign, when a 2-1 defeat to Norwich City resulted in the Merseyside outfit only registering one top flight victory since September.
Although Pereira currently finds himself managing in the Saudi Pro League, he is dreaming of eventually heading to the English top flight after coming agonisingly close on three separate occasions.
Pereira Was Ready to Take Goodison Park Job
Al-Shabab head coach had been earmarked as Moshiri’s top target
Vitor Pereira in the dugout during his Corinthians reign
In January 2022, Pereira emerged as Moshiri’s preferred choice to succeed Benítez as Everton manager. It was actually the third time in his career he had made the final stages for a Premier League job.
Lampard ended up beng appointed instead, but things might have turned out differently had some Everton fans not protested against the Portuguese tactician’s potential appointment while he was already on Merseyside interviewing.
“I was very, very close to signing for Everton. I was ready to start working there,” Pereira has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT. “I travelled over and stayed for one week. I had four meetings with the club, but in the end it was not to be.
“My career so far has been a big journey, and I am in love with beautiful football. I really believe my next move will be to a top league in the world: the Premier League, LaLiga, or Serie A – one of these places. This is my target for the future and I think it’s just a question of time.
“I was so close to being a Premier League manager on three different occasions. Small things stopped it from happening each time, but in the future I believe I will be there.”
Pereira is fully committed to Al-Shabab, so hardly looking elsewhere just yet, but if all goes to plan in the long run, his 13th senior job in football might finally see him get a dream move to England.
Vitor Pereira’s managerial record compared to Frank Lampard
Vitor Pereira
Frank Lampard
Fixtures
550
196
Won
306
83
Drawn
123
40
Lost
121
73
Goals for
1003
326
Goals against
562
288
Statistics correct as of 05/09/2024
Pereira Headed to Toffees with Impressive CV
Portuguese tactician has won plenty of silverware in management
Vitor Pereira shouting from the touchline
Pereira would have headed to Everton with the experience of winning countless pieces of silverware and managing in several different countries.
Prior to joining Al-Shabab, the 56-year-old had most recently managed Flamengo and Corinthians in Brazil. He also had two spells with Fenerbahce in 2015/16 and 2021.
Four of his eight trophies as a manager came during his time at Porto, where he won the 2011/12 and 2012/13 Primeira Liga titles and two Portuguese Super Cups (2011, 2012). And Pereira was assistant to Andre Villas-Boas during the 2010/11 treble-winning campaign in which Porto won the league, Taca de Portugal, and defeated Braga to lift the Europa League trophy.
Pereira was blessed at Porto with players like Joao Moutinho, James Rodríguez, Nicolas Otamendi, Danilo and Jackson Martinez. These talents thrived in their manager’s possession-heavy system which was set up to both deceive and dominate, often by constantly and unpredictably changing the rhythm of the game.
The central midfield was particularly pivotal and would often oscillate between a diamond and square, as Pereira’s tactically astute stars lured their opponents out of position then waited for the right moment to pounce.
Pereira then took this philosophy to Olympiacos, where he won the 2014/15 Greek Super League and Greek Football Cup before moving to Shanghai SIPG in China and claiming the 2018 Chinese Super League and 2019 FA Super Cup.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
