Nottingham Forest take on Aston Villa at the City Ground on Sunday in a big Premier League clash
06:00, 11 Apr 2026
Head coach Vitor Pereira with his Nottingham Forest players after the 1-1 draw with Porto in the Europa League
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Head coach Vitor Pereira with his Nottingham Forest players after the 1-1 draw with Porto in the Europa League(Image: PA)
Vitor Pereira has admitted it would be a “disaster” for Nottingham Forest to be relegated, as he prepares for a crucial Premier League clash.
The Reds head coach continues to have to juggle the fight for top-flight survival with a push for European glory. His team welcome Aston Villa to the City Ground tomorrow (2pm kick-off) on the back of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg draw with Porto.
With that 1-1 result in Portugal, Forest have given themselves a chance of reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. However, their league position remains a precarious one.
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It is why Pereira has, so far, tended to mix and match his starting line-ups. Fringe players have often got the nod in Europe, while he has relied upon a tried and trusted contingent in the league.
“What I'm feeling is every time that we move forward in the Europa League, the level of the opponents are stronger,” Pereira said when asked about his selection decisions for the respective competitions. “To face Porto in the next game, we need to be at a better level than we played on Thursday, I'm sure of it.
“But I cannot forget the Premier League because I need to be responsible. I need to be responsible.
“Of course, we are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. We are looking at the semi-finals and we are looking at the final. Even for me, for my ambitions, personal ambitions, of course I want to win. I had it as an assistant coach, winning the Europa League (with Porto), but I want to win the Europa League as a head coach.
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“But the Premier League is very important. We are competing with West Ham, Tottenham and Leeds (for survival), and it's not easy to compete with these kind of clubs.
“If we are not in the level, in the Premier League, it will be a disaster. It will be a disaster. And this is a disaster that I don't want to have the responsibility for. I want to keep my club in the Premier League and to fight to achieve the (Europa League) final.
“It was a difficult game (against Porto); just playing here is very difficult for every team. Next game, we play at home and we'll see what happens.”
Ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis has made no secret of his desire for the Reds to win trophies. But the Greek businessman also does not want Forest to lose their Premier League status on his watch.
“The club said to me that the priority is to keep the club in the Premier League,” Pereira said. “And I agree.
“I agree. For the supporters, for everybody, for the club, for everybody, it's a disaster if we go to the Championship.”
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