The new Nottingham Forest manager held his first press conference after being appointed as the Reds' chief and had a lot to say
Leigh Curtis Derby County Writer
07:00, 18 Feb 2026
Vitor Pereira manager of Nottingham Forest enjoys his first day at The Nigel Doughty Academy
View Image
Vitor Pereira, manager of Nottingham Forest, enjoys his first day at The Nigel Doughty Academy (Image: Nottingham Forest FC via Getty Images)
For a man who grew up in a small fishing village where water would crash into the cave where he lived with his parents during the winter, Vitor Pereira knows all about pressure.
He has also worked as a lifeguard, so when you put that into context, the job of trying to keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League doesn't seem anywhere near as intimidating.
Indeed, as he held court with the media for the first time since his appointment, Pereira was ice-cool despite occupying the hottest seat in English football.
There were no bold promises, no grand announcements, just words of wisdom and an indication that Pereira is a safe pair of hands in a season Forest so desperately need them.
Pressure, he said, brings the best out of him. Forest will hope it does the same with the players who will largely dictate whether they avoid the clutches of the Championship.
"If I think that we’ll get there without hard work and suffering, it’s not possible," Pereira said as he was unveiled at the City Ground.
"If you buy into the manager's idea, it’s a good step. If you don’t buy it, it’s a big problem.
“You must also buy into the personality. If you buy the idea and the person, have an open mind to receive information and to work hard together, it’s possible to achieve what we want.
“These players have the quality. But I cannot change a lot, because in a short time it’s a mistake to try - but with clear ideas and good communication we can do it.
"I believe in leadership, but with honesty and good communication. If they recognise I am honest with them and what I’m doing, it’s important. I want to create a game that makes them feel important.
“Now, everybody must be ready to help the team. It’s difficult to imagine us being in this position at the start of the season.”
Pereira's immediate task is not only to win games, but also to bring some calm to the chaos which has engulfed this season.
Forest have already been through three managers, with the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, deciding to head to the managerial casino once again, hoping that for the final 12 games, he hits the jackpot.
Marinakis has never been afraid to gamble, but this time, the stakes are incredibly high. At least he knows Pereira from their time at Olympiacos together, when that partnership ended with a league and cup double.
A solid relationship between the manager and the owner is paramount at any football club. Pereira understands what makes him tick.
There is a perception from the outside that Marinakis, although his intentions are noble, can get a little too hands-on, something that was evident when he and Nuno Espirito Santo were involved in an exchange last season when the club were chasing Champions League football.
But, by his own experience, Pereira was adamant that it never led him to interfere.
“The owner is not afraid to make decisions, even if it means making a change. This is his personality, and he wants results," he said.
“If you’re looking for security, you cannot be a manager. I used to be a school teacher; the salary was bad, but it was secure.
"This owner is ambitious. He wants to win, he’s emotional, and I know him very well. When I worked with him, he never interfered in my work.
“But he likes to speak about what happens and wants to help.
“I prefer someone who is there and taking care of things rather than someone who isn’t there. I want this kind of relationship.
“In Greece, there is fire inside, they like to see the energy - and he asked me to be myself. He realises I have the qualities to be a manager in the way he thinks is important."
Pereira's contract only lasts 18 months which is at odds with the norm in the Premier League when four to five-year deals are usually on the table.
The future can wait for now because Forest doesn't have time to think about anything other than survival.
But if he does well and emulates what he achieved at Wolves, who he also kept in the Premier League before his best players were sold, then maybe an extended stay might be on the cards.
"It's possible if we do well, of course," said Pereira when asked about a longer-term contract. "Football is the next game, the next game and the next. It depends every time, on results. It's not only about the quality of the work or competence, but it's also results.
"I'm not worried. As I said to you, I'm very confident. I'm a confident guy. I don't know why, but I always speak about my life. I was born in a small village, a fishermen's village.
"Usually, the people who are born in this kind of village go to work in a factory and have normal work. I decided, since I was very young, that I would be a coach. "You know why? Because I live around the stadium in my city. A small city, very small city, but around the stadium, and I live inside the stadium and outside the stadium playing, playing, playing, playing, playing. "And I decided that, because I admire the work of the managers there, I decided I would be a manager one day, and I focused myself on being a manager. "One day, I said to myself, I would be a manager in the first league of Portugal. And one day I said to myself, I will be champion in Portugal, and after that I will get titles outside the country. "And one day I also said to myself, I will be in the Premier League, and this is life. This is hard work. I'm proud because I built my life on working and working and I think it's the spirit of this club. I came with the intention to give everything of myself, to give my body and soul to help the club, and together we can do it."
Forest fans will certainly hope that is the case.
Article continues below
Help us stay visible by adding us as* a Preferred Source*in your search settings
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page
What did you think to Pereira's first press conference? Have your say HERE.