Club History
Full name: Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
Nickname(s): Wolves, the Old Gold
Founded: 1877; 148 years ago, as St. Luke's F.C.
Ground: Molineux Stadium
Capacity: 31,750
Owner: Fosun International
Chairman: Jeff Shi
Head coach: Jose Mourinho
League: Premier League
2024–25: Premier League, 14th of 20
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, founded in 1877 as St. Luke’s F.C. before adopting their current name two years later, has been a fixture in English football for nearly a century and a half. As one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888, Wolves quickly established themselves as a competitive force, winning their first FA Cup in 1893 and again in 1908, the latter as a Second Division side. The club’s golden era came under legendary manager Stan Cullis in the 1950s, when they claimed three First Division titles in 1953–54, 1957–58, and 1958–59, alongside FA Cup triumphs in 1949 and 1960. Wolves also became pioneers in hosting floodlit friendlies against top European sides, helping inspire the creation of the European Cup.
After the heights of the Cullis years, the following decades brought fluctuating fortunes. The club was relegated in 1965 but bounced back in 1967, winning League Cups in 1974 and 1980 and securing promotion as Second Division champions in 1977. Financial hardship in the 1980s nearly led to liquidation, and Wolves fell as far as the Fourth Division before rebounding under new ownership in the 1990s. The Premier League era saw sporadic spells in the top flight, with the club largely positioned as a yo-yo side until a new chapter began in 2016.
That summer, Chinese conglomerate Fosun International acquired the club and set about building an ambitious, globally minded project. The appointment of Portuguese manager Nuno Espírito Santo in 2017 proved transformative. With a squad featuring prominent Portuguese internationals such as Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, and Diogo Jota, Wolves won the Championship with style, secured consecutive seventh-place Premier League finishes, and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Nuno’s departure in 2021 led to the brief tenure of Bruno Lage, who delivered a top-half finish before being replaced by Julen Lopetegui. Lopetegui successfully steered the side to safety during a turbulent 2022–23 season.
The 2023–24 campaign began in chaotic fashion, with Lopetegui leaving on the eve of the season and Gary O’Neil stepping in. Against expectations, O’Neil guided Wolves to a 14th-place Premier League finish and the FA Cup quarter-finals, notching memorable league wins over Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham. Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan led the scoring charts with twelve goals apiece, while the club also worked to stabilize its finances after recent losses, keeping an eye on sustainability and compliance with spending rules.
Then, in the summer of 2024, came a seismic moment. Wolves announced the appointment of José Mourinho as manager, marking the start of a bold new era. Backed by Fosun’s vision, Mourinho set about building a squad anchored around Portuguese, Brazilian, and Chinese talent, aiming to blend technical flair, tactical discipline, and global market appeal into a project that promised to redefine the club’s identity for years to come.