Nottingham Forest have officially announced the appointment of Vítor Pereira as their fourth head coach of the current season. The Portuguese manager takes over from Sean Dyche, who was dismissed on Thursday, signing a contract that runs until June 2027.
Pereira's Immediate Challenges
Pereira inherits a Nottingham Forest squad that sits just one place and three points above the Premier League relegation zone. His predecessor, Sean Dyche, managed the team for 25 matches after replacing Ange Postecoglou, who himself had only eight games in charge following Nuno Espírito Santo's departure.
First Fixtures and Previous Experience
Pereira's first match in charge will be a Europa League away fixture at Fenerbahce on Thursday, followed by a challenging home Premier League encounter against Liverpool just three days later. The 57-year-old has previous experience working under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis during his time at Olympiakos.
Notably, Pereira was sacked by Wolves last November despite having saved them from relegation the previous season. His work at Wolves earned him a nomination for the Premier League's manager of the year award last season, and Forest hope he can replicate that immediate positive impact at the City Ground.
Behind the Scenes at Forest
The Forest squad will return to training on Monday after being given the weekend off following their FA Cup third round elimination to Wrexham last month. That defeat proved to be the beginning of the end for Dyche's tenure, with some senior players reportedly expressing concerns about his methods and Marinakis growing increasingly worried about the team's direction.
Marinakis's Long-term Vision
It is understood that Marinakis's long-term managerial target remains Marco Silva, who succeeded Pereira at Olympiakos. However, it remains uncertain whether Forest will attempt to lure Silva from Fulham when his contract expires this summer.
Pereira brings extensive experience to Nottingham Forest, having managed 13 different clubs throughout his career. This includes two previous spells coaching in Istanbul with Fenerbahce, in 2015-16 and again in 2021, giving him valuable familiarity with Thursday's Europa League opponents.
