Pereira steps in to replace Villas-Boas in Shanghai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Porto coach Vitor Pereira has been unveiled as the new manager of Chinese Super League (CSL) side Shanghai SIPG, replacing fellow Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas at the helm.

Pereira, who took over at Porto after Villas-Boas left the club to join Chelsea, has been handed the task of ending Guangzhou Evergrande's dominance after the southern Chinese side notched up a seventh straight CSL success last season.

Villas-Boas steered SIPG to second in the league as well as to the final of the Chinese FA Cup and semi-finals of the Asian Champions League before leaving the club at the end of the season to drive in next month's Dakar Rally.

SIPG have invested heavily in foreign playing talent in an attempt to claim the title, spending in excess of 150 million euros (132.4 million pounds) over the last two years to lure the likes of Brazilian duo Oscar and Hulk to the China.

Pereira worked as Villas-Boas' assistant when Porto won the Europa League title in 2011 before taking over as head coach when the latter departed for Stamford Bridge.

(Reporting by Michael Church in Tokyo; Editing by John O'Brien)