Wolves Sack Rob Edwards and Appoint Cesar Peixoto
Wolverhampton Wanderers have ended Rob Edwards' tenure as head coach just seven months after his appointment — and already have his replacement lined up.
Wolves confirmed the dismissal of Edwards on Thursday morning, June 11, following the club's relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season. According to Sky Sports News, Edwards was informed of the decision over the phone while abroad on holiday — a detail that underlines how abruptly the club moved. He was not expecting it.
The club has already reached a full agreement to appoint César Peixoto, 46, the head coach of Portuguese side Gil Vicente, as his replacement.
Rob Edwards at Wolves — What Went Wrong
Edwards, 43, joined Wolves in November 2025 under difficult circumstances — replacing Vitor Pereira with the club already bottom of the Premier League and without a win from their opening 11 games. He was the club's third manager in under a year.
His appointment carried significant emotional weight. Edwards is a Wolves fan who grew up near Molineux, made more than 100 appearances for the club as a player between 2004 and 2008, and served as a first-team coach and caretaker manager at the club in 2016. He left Middlesbrough — where he had been performing well in the Championship — to take the role, with Wolves paying £3 million in compensation to Teesside.
According to Express and Star, Edwards' record at Molineux read: five wins, nine draws, and 16 defeats from 30 matches in all competitions. Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League with just 20 points — one of the lowest points totals in recent top-flight history.
Despite the disappointing results, Edwards had been working actively on the club's summer recruitment strategy. He played a significant role in persuading Raúl Jiménez to return to Molineux and was instrumental in bringing experienced England defender Kieran Trippier to the club — both signings announced just this week, days before he was dismissed.
That timing — being sacked while his own transfer work was being publicly celebrated — has prompted considerable discussion among supporters and observers.
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Who Is César Peixoto — Wolves' New Manager
César Peixoto arrives as a relatively unknown quantity outside Portugal, but carries the backing of one of football's most powerful figures.
The 46-year-old has managed exclusively within the Portuguese league system — most recently at Gil Vicente, where he built a strong reputation as a tactically astute coach capable of developing young players and organising compact defensive structures. He is represented by Jorge Mendes' Gestifute agency, which has maintained a close relationship with Wolves' Chinese owners Fosun throughout the club's recent history — a connection that has shaped multiple appointments at Molineux over the years.
According to TEAMtalk, Peixoto was recommended directly to Fosun by Mendes and talks moved rapidly to a full agreement. The pattern of Jorge Mendes-connected appointments at Wolves is well established — Nuno Espírito Santo, Bruno Lage, Julen Lopetegui, and Vitor Pereira all arrived via the same route.
Peixoto will inherit a squad that retains genuine quality — including Jiménez, Trippier, and several players many pundits believe are capable of competing for automatic promotion from the Championship.
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What This Means for Wolves' Championship Campaign
Wolves enter the 2026-27 Championship as one of the most heavily resourced clubs in the second tier — a status that brings expectation as much as it does advantage.
Fosun's decision to act quickly and install a new manager before pre-season begins signals the ownership's determination to treat the Championship campaign as a one-year problem to solve rather than an extended rebuilding project. The club's hierarchy is reported to believe the division requires a different tactical and cultural approach from the Premier League — and that Peixoto represents the right profile for that task.
For Edwards, the dismissal is a painful end to what began as a homecoming appointment. He had the goodwill of the fanbase, the backing of the club's recruitment structure, and a genuine connection to the shirt. Relegation, ultimately, overrode all of it.
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Key Takeaways
- Wolves sacked head coach Rob Edwards on June 11, 2026 — seven months after his appointment in November 2025.
- Edwards was informed by phone while on holiday abroad — he was not expecting the decision.
- His record at Molineux: 5 wins, 9 draws, 16 defeats — Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League with 20 points.
- César Peixoto, 46, Gil Vicente coach, has been appointed as replacement — backed by super-agent Jorge Mendes and owners Fosun.
- Edwards had this week helped secure the signings of Raúl Jiménez and Kieran Trippier before his dismissal.
- Wolves enter the 2026-27 Championship as strong promotion favourites under their new Portuguese coach.
Sources
- Sky Sports News — Rob Edwards: Wolves Sack Head Coach After Seven Months
- Express and Star — Wolves Sack Rob Edwards and Set for New Head Coach Appointment
- TEAMtalk — Rob Edwards Exit: Wolves Reach Agreement for Jorge Mendes-Backed Coach
