Vitor Pereira Takes Helm at Nottingham Forest with 18-Month Contract

Nottingham Forest has officially appointed Vitor Pereira as their new manager on an 18-month contract, marking the 57-year-old’s return to English football. This move makes him the fourth manager the club has had this season.

Pereira steps into the role at the City Ground following the dismissal of Sean Dyche, who was let go after the team’s disappointing performance against Wolves. His primary objective will be to steer Forest away from relegation in the Premier League, where they currently sit in 17th place, just three points clear of the relegation zone after securing only two victories in their last ten outings.

The Portuguese coach’s debut match will occur on Thursday in Turkey, where he will face off against Fenerbahce in the first leg of the Europa League knockout round play-offs. Following that, Forest will host Liverpool in a Premier League clash on Sunday, February 22.

This appointment marks Pereira’s return to the English game after being relieved from his duties at Wolves in November, where he managed the team for nearly a year. He follows Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Dyche in the managerial role at Forest since September.

Dyche’s tenure ended after a lackluster draw against the bottom-placed Wolves, which prompted a reevaluation of the club’s direction. Pereira, who had a mixed record at Wolves with 14 wins out of 38 matches, was quickly identified as the ideal candidate due to his prior connections with Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, during his time at Olympiacos.

While at Olympiacos, Pereira achieved significant success, clinching both the league title and the Greek Cup in the 2014-15 season before moving on to Fenerbahce. He briefly joined Wolves in December 2024 but was dismissed after the squad struggled, earning only two points from their initial ten league matches.

Pereira began his managerial journey in 2004 with Portuguese side Sanjoanense and has since held positions in various countries, including Germany, China, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. This marks his 15th managerial role.

His coaching staff will feature Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida and Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva as assistant coaches, which is expected to bring additional support to his leadership.

The club’s recent managerial changes have been tumultuous. Nuno was removed just three games into the season after expressing issues with his relationship with Marinakis, despite having led the team to a seventh-place finish and European qualification the previous season. Postecoglou’s brief 39-day stint ended without a single league victory, while Dyche’s initial success eventually faltered as the team struggled to escape the relegation threat, prompting discussions with Marinakis after recent disappointments.