César Peixoto cites Mourinho, Jesus influence as Portuguese boss promises to “do everything to put Wolves back in the Premier League” | OneFootball

Peixoto takes Wolves post [Getty Images]

Wolverhampton Wanderers confirmed the appointment of Portuguese manager César Peixoto on Monday.

Peixoto leaves Gil Vicente after a 6th place finish in the Primeira Liga to sign a two-year deal in England, where he is charged with returning recently relegated Wolves immediately back to the top flight.

Wolves executive chairman Nathan Shi announced the news before telling the media: “We are delighted to welcome César to Wolves.

“Throughout our discussions with him, it became clear very quickly that he possesses many of the qualities we believe are important for the future of this football club.

“We wanted clear identity, strong leadership qualities and a real hunger to succeed. César demonstrated all of those characteristics, but what impressed me most was his mentality, his work ethic and his willingness to embrace the challenge in front of him.

“He is young, energetic and ambitious, but he is also thoughtful, accountable and willing to challenge himself and those around him in pursuit of improvement.We believe he will be an excellent fit for the culture and vision we are building at Wolves.”

Team must reflect the city

The change in management came as a shock to many Wolves fans, with former player Rob Edwards dismissed to make way for Peixoto after just six months in the job. However, it appears Jorge Mendes’ influence at Molineux remains as his client Peixoto has been entrusted with suceeding Edwards.

“I’m proud to be here at this big, historic club in England,” Peixoto told the club’s media. “It’s a big opportunity and I’m prepared to do everything to put Wolves where it belongs in the Premier League.

“We have great players, but I think the team can improve a lot with me and I can improve as a technical head coach. I want to put my identity onto the team, build a strong identity at the club and also help the team to grow. This is a big opportunity to show my identity and my way of playing.

“This is an amazing club, and it is important for me to make Wolves play in a way which reflects the fans. It’s a hard-working city with a lot of energy and a lot of passion and I want the team to play like that, to play with passion, to play with good energy, and make the fans happy with our idea of the game.

“The right vision is important. Wolves in the Championship is a big fish, and we know we have to play well, we know we have to win games, but with an offensive identity with the ball and a fresh eye over the team, this is the kind of vision I have.

“The owners also have this vision, so it is important for us, for me and for the club, to build a big team, play well for the fans, produce attractive football and put Wolves in the Premier League.”

Learning from Mourinho, Jesus

Peixoto played for both Porto under José Mourinho and Benfica under Jorge Jesus during his career as a footballer, winning the Portuguese title with both. A talented left midfielder who represented his country once in 2008, Peixoto was part of the Dragons squad which conquered Europe with Mourinho at the helm by winning the Champions League in 2004.

“I learned a little from all the coaches that I’ve had,” Peixoto said. “José Mourinho is an important coach for me, and he was my coach when I was in Porto, and Jorge Jesus also is the coach who I learned more from because he’s more offensive, more aggressive in the games, but I learned a lot of little things from all the coaches I have had in my career.

“But I have to put my idea and what I believe into the game, put that onto the pitch and put that in my team, in my players, because my identity is the most important thing for me.

“After that, we work hard, work on the pitch, in the training session, so when we come to the games, we can start in a good moment and win games.

“Fans will see a team with ambition, with strong character, a strong identity of the club, and a strong idea of the game. They will see a team who never gives up on trying to win the three points and I want to make the fans proud of these players.”