VITOR PEREIRA’S FIRST WORDS AS NOTTINGHAM FOREST BOSS SEND STRONG MESSAGE TO SQUAD!
Vitor Pereira is set to take charge of Nottingham Forest after agreeing a contract that will run until the end of next season, becoming the club’s fourth manager in what has been a turbulent campaign. The 57-year-old Portuguese coach steps in with one clear objective steer Forest away from the Premier League relegation battle and restore stability at the City Ground.
He replaces Sean Dyche, who was dismissed in the early hours of Thursday morning following a string of disappointing results. Although the club are yet to formally confirm Pereira’s appointment, all indications point to his imminent return to English football. His last spell in the Premier League came with Wolves, where he was relieved of his duties in November after 11 months in charge.
Forest currently sit 17th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone, having managed only two wins in their last 10 league matches. The mounting pressure has forced owner Evangelos Marinakis into decisive action once again, continuing a season defined by managerial upheaval.
Since September alone, Pereira will become the fourth man to occupy the Forest dugout. The campaign began under Nuno Espirito Santo, who was surprisingly dismissed just three games into the new season. Despite guiding the club to a seventh-place finish and European qualification last term, Nuno revealed that his relationship with Marinakis had deteriorated, prompting his abrupt exit.
Australian coach Ange Postecoglou was brought in as Nuno’s successor but endured a disastrous 39-day tenure. He failed to win any of his eight league matches in charge, drawing two and losing six, before the club acted once more.
Dyche’s arrival initially brought optimism. The former Everton and Burnley boss won seven of his first 12 matches, suggesting he had steadied the ship. However, Forest’s form nosedived in recent weeks, and a goalless draw against bottom-placed Wolves proved to be the final straw. Reports suggest several players were unconvinced by Dyche’s tactical approach, and owner Marinakis held discussions with members of the squad following both the Wolves stalemate and a damaging 3–1 defeat to fellow strugglers Leeds.
Pereira quickly emerged as the preferred candidate, in part due to his prior working relationship with Marinakis at Greek giants Olympiacos. During a brief six-month spell in charge of the club in 2014–15, he delivered both the league title and the Greek Cup, enhancing his reputation as a coach capable of delivering immediate success.
His time at Wolves was mixed. He won 14 of his 38 matches in charge and successfully kept them in the Premier League last season. However, a disastrous start to the current campaign which saw the club collect just two points from their opening 10 league games led to his dismissal three months ago.
Pereira’s managerial journey began in 2004 with Portuguese side Sanjoanense. Since then, he has managed across multiple countries including Germany, China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, building a reputation as a well-travelled and tactically flexible coach. Forest will mark his 15th managerial appointment a testament to both his experience and the demand for his services across different footballing cultures.
His first assignment could hardly be more dramatic. Pereira’s debut will come in the Europa League knockout round play-off first leg against his former club Fenerbahce in Turkey a reunion filled with narrative. Just days later, he will face another stern test as Forest host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, 22 February.
With relegation fears intensifying and European commitments adding further pressure, Pereira inherits a squad at a crossroads. Whether he can steady the chaos and deliver survival remains to be seen, but one thing is certain Nottingham Forest’s season has just taken another dramatic twist.
