Oliver Glasner is in advanced talks to replace Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach, a move which would see the Austrian become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.
Pereira announced his departure from the club in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it came as a “complete surprise to me and without any warning”.
Glasner is a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace — where he won the FA Cup in 2024-25 and then the Community Shield and Conference League the following campaign — and is set to stay in the Premier League.
The 51-year-old confirmed in January that he would leave Palace at the end of the season after two years in charge.
Pereira, 57, was appointed Forest head coach in February on an 18-month contract which runs until 2027.
The Athletic reported in May Forest had been planning to show their faith in Pereira by handing the head coach a new long-term contract, but those talks were subsequently put on hold.
“Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest,” he said in his statement.
“I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future.
“Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months.
“Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club’s Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness.
“I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection.”
The Portuguese succeeded Sean Dyche and was Forest’s fourth permanent boss of the season following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.
Nuno had led Forest to Europa League qualification the previous season but he departed in September, less than three months after signing a new deal. Postecoglou was appointed his replacement but was dismissed just 39 days later. Dyche took charge of the team in October before his dismissal in February.
Forest were three points above the relegation zone when Pereira was appointed and he subsequently steered his side to Premier League safety with two games of the campaign remaining.
His appointment marked his second managerial spell in the Premier League after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety during the 2024-25 campaign.
A move that feels ‘cruel and ruthless’
Analysis by Nick Miller
This is peak Nottingham Forest.
Vitor Pereira turned around a team that was heading for relegation and in the end survived pretty comfortably, and as an added bonus took them to a Europa League semi-final.
To be dismissed at this stage feels cruel and ruthless, but to a point Pereira knew what he was getting himself into. He had worked with Evangelos Marinakis before, and he himself was the fourth manager of the season at the City Ground: in those conditions, you have to be aware that something like this can happen.
Pereira steered Forest away from relegation (Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
From Forest’s perspective, they may have been wary about what happened with Pereira at Wolves — after doing a similar job in keeping them in the Premier League in one season, things went downhill quickly and they were on the road to relegation when he was dismissed.
They may have thought that they simply have an upgrade available, in Oliver Glasner, a double trophy winner with Crystal Palace who was linked with much loftier clubs last season.
But the fact remains that this is no way to treat a manager, or indeed a person.