Manager still seems to regret missed Everton chance – Wants shot at big leagues again

Portuguese manager Vitor Pereira has again hinted at his disappointment at missing out on the Everton job, saying the ones he took after that failure were mistakes.

Pereira has been speaking to Mais Futebol about his career and what have been a difficult few years for him in management.

He’s currently in charge of Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League after joining them in February of this year following a short and unsuccessful spell at Flamengo which lasted 20 games.

That had been preceded by a stint at Corinthians spanning 63 games.

Indeed, the Portuguese boss has struggled to settle anywhere except in China since leaving Porto after two years in June 2023, with spells at Al-Ahli, Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, and 1860 Munich all proving to be short before he spent three years at SH SIPG.

That might have been different if he’d landed the Everton job in January 2022, when reports had him as the leading candidate for the role.

Indeed, Pereira believed that he was the frontrunner and even went public to state his claim and try to win over Everton fans, who had publicly demonstrated their reluctance to see him appointed.

They eventually won as Frank Lampard was appointed, although his spell would not last long and Everton would eventually turn to Sean Dyche a year later amid another relegation battle.

Since then, Pereira has had two sell in Brazil that didn’t hit the mark, and he admits mistakes have been made on his part.

“As in all careers, I believe that everyone had, in their career, made decisions that if they could go back, they would go back,” he said.

“Now, at the time, it was what I decided. It was what I decided and what I felt. I’m very emotional. And there were times when I had little patience, and the lack of patience betrayed me.

“There were moments when I should have waited a little longer and the path would have been different, a more European path, in important leagues.

“Then, going to China and doing something that had never been done. We got there and broke the cycle. For the first time, we were champions and then we won the Super Cup.

“So, there is the possibility of working in Turkey, with quality players and with players that I am proud to see in Real Madrid, in Munich, in England. So, I can’t, honestly, I can’t, reviewing my career, I have to feel proud of the work we did.

“Now, there is much more to do. I continue to feel that I have to get to a big European league and then yes, all these years in the laboratory, get there and prove it. Let’s see.”