Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Bruno Lage as their new manager, with the Premier League side without a gaffer since Nuno Espirito Santo decided to leave at the end of the last campaign.
Bruno Lage Appointed as New Boss of Wolves
Plenty of Speculation Regarding Bruno Lage Getting the Wolves Job
There has been a lot of talk about the 45-year old taking over – especially considering his success in Portugal and the current link between the Wolves side and their continued signings of Portuguese players – and he has now officially taken the reigns at the English side.
The departure of former manager Nuno Espirito Santo did come as somewhat of a surprise for the Molineux side considering his previous successes with them. Not only did he excel with the club in the Championship, guiding them to promotion back to the Premier League, but he also did superbly in the top tier to boot.
Upon his arrival in the top flight, he continued to prove his mettle as a manager. He took Wolves into Europe and established them as a solid Premier League side and, although they dipped in form during the 2020/21 campaign and fell to 13th, they were never really in danger of relegation.
However, he decided that it would be the best time for the two parties to part ways and Santo left the club.
First New Manager Since Wolves Were Promoted Again
It’s meant that Wolves will now go into next season with a new manager for the first time during this stint back in the top tier of English football. The man to lead them will be Bruno Lage.
He does have good credentials though, so Wolves fans shouldn’t worry. When appointed as Benfica boss back in 2019, he led the side to the Portuguese top flight title in his first season in charge.
Although his tenure at Benfica did end sourly, he still has the ability to do a solid job. In 2018/19, he was voted the Primeira Liga’s best coach for example and he’s familiar with the workings of English football too. He worked as an assistant at both Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City and therefore already has a decent understanding of the workings of the English game.
Bruno Lage Worked Under Carlos Carvalhal at Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City
He worked under Carlos Carvalhal, a man who himself did well during his time in England. He led the Owls to one of their best finishes in recent seasons and nearly led them back into the Premier League. Since his departure, the club have actually gone the other way and have now been relegated to League One.
He has since used what he learned to manage both Benfica B and then their first team, where he won the aforementioned league title.
If he can utilise what he has learned as both an assistant and manager – and let’s not forget he won a title in Portugal – then he could prove to be a success at Wolves. Only time will truly tell though how well he will adapt to being a number one in the English game and whether he will have a similar level of success as his predecessor – or whether this appointment will come back to bite Wolves.
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