Image Credits: Imago Images
Nottingham Forest’s season has lurched from crisis to crisis – and the sacking of Sean Dyche after just 114 days in charge summed up the chaos at the City Ground.
Brought in as a firefighter to steady the club and drag them away from the relegation zone, Dyche left with Forest only three points clear of danger after a damaging run that included a 3–1 defeat to Leeds and a goalless stalemate at home to bottom‑placed Wolves.
Frustration had been growing in the boardroom over limp attacking displays, with Forest managing just 25 goals in 26 league games despite heavy investment in forwards last summer. In the early hours of Thursday, owner Evangelos Marinakis pulled the plug, sacking a third head coach of the season and setting up yet another reset before the run‑in.
Into that turmoil steps Vitor Pereira – Forest’s fourth manager of the campaign. The two-time European Champions have confirmed the appointment today, with a statement reading:
“Nottingham Forest is delighted to confirm that Vítor Pereira has been appointed as Head Coach on an 18-month deal.
Pereira began his managerial career in his homeland, Portugal, in 2002. After gaining extensive experience across the country, he took over Porto in 2011, where a hugely successful two-year spell saw him lead the club to back-to-back league titles.
Having spent time at Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia, Periera then moved to Olympiacos in January 2015 and went on to win the double with the Piraeus side.
Adding to his wealth of experience at the top level around the world, Pereira has also managed Fenerbahçe in Turkey and Chinese Super League Club Shanghai SIPG, guiding the latter to their first ever league title in his debut campaign, before then winning the Chinese Super Cup. He has also had spells in charge of Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Flamengo.
Most recently, he was Head Coach of Premier League club Wolves. Taking over with club in the relegation zone, Pereira led them to a six-game winning run which helped guide them to safety during the 2024/25 season. It was the longest winning run of any team in the top-flight last season, in a campaign which also saw Wolves score a club record number of goals in the Premier League.
The 57-year-old now heads to Trentside on a deal that runs until the summer of 2027.
He will be joined by coaching staff Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida (Assistant Coach), Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva (Assistant Coach), Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura (Head of Physical Performance and Opposition Analysis), and Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes (Opposition Analyst).“
Pereira is best known for his title‑winning spell at Porto, where he followed André Villas‑Boas. Since then he has developed a reputation as a serial globetrotter: he has lifted the Super League crown with Olympiacos in Greece and the Chinese Super League with Shanghai SIPG.
Premier League followers will remember Pereira from his recent time at Wolves, where he arrived in December 2024 with the club staring at relegation and managed to keep them up before being dismissed after a poor start to the following campaign. That rescue job, combined with his previous relationship with Marinakis from their days together at Olympiacos, has helped put him at the front of Forest’s shortlist as they look for another escape act.
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