Nottingham Forest in talks with Oliver Glasner after sudden split with Vítor Pereira
Nottingham, United Kingdom — Nottingham Forest have opened talks with Oliver Glasner after deciding to end their cooperation with Vítor Pereira, according to British media reports published on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. According to Sky Sports News, the former Crystal Palace manager is at the top of the list of candidates to become the new head coach of the City Ground club, while talks are being held with Pereira about his departure. The Guardian simultaneously reports that Forest used a contractual clause that allowed termination by the end of June and that the club immediately turned to Glasner, who became a free coach after the end of the season. Official confirmation of a final agreement had not been published on the club’s official channels at the time the available reports were released, so the Austrian’s appointment is still being described as a process in its final stage. Nevertheless, the direction of the decision clearly shows that Nottingham Forest are once again entering a period of managerial change, and that only a few weeks after Pereira managed to achieve the main short-term objective — keeping the team in the Premier League.
A turnaround after staying in the Premier League
The decision to part ways with Pereira is particularly unusual because the Portuguese coach arrived at the club in February 2026 with the clear task of stabilising the season and avoiding relegation. Sky Sports reported at the time that Pereira had taken over Forest on an 18-month contract, following the departure of Sean Dyche, and that he had become the club’s fourth head coach in the same competitive season. According to the same source, Forest were only three points above the relegation zone at the time of his arrival, and the board was looking for a coach with experience working in crisis situations. Pereira had previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League and, according to Sky Sports, had managed to avoid relegation with Wolverhampton in the previous season after taking over the team in a difficult position.
That context explains why his arrival in Nottingham in February was presented as a pragmatic move, but also why the current separation is drawing additional attention. According to the available reports, Pereira fulfilled the basic sporting objective because Forest retained their top-flight status, yet the board nevertheless decided to use the contractual option to end the cooperation. The Guardian states that the clause was activated late on June 30, 2026, immediately before the deadline by which the club could unilaterally initiate such an outcome expired. Sky Sports News formulates the situation more cautiously and states that Pereira is “likely to depart”, but at the same time confirms that the club has made the decision to move on after the Portuguese coach kept them in the league.
For Forest, this is another abrupt turn in a period marked by changes on the bench. The Guardian writes that Glasner, if the agreement is completed, would become Nottingham Forest’s fifth head coach in less than a year. That number is particularly important because it speaks of instability at the level of the sporting project, not only of the replacement of one coach. In recent seasons, the club has invested significant funds in the playing squad and has tried to strengthen its position in the Premier League, but frequent managerial changes have made it harder to create a clear team identity. In that sense, Glasner’s possible arrival is not merely a replacement for Pereira, but an attempt by the board to redefine the direction before the start of the new season.
Glasner arrives after the strongest period of his career
Oliver Glasner enters talks with Nottingham Forest with the reputation of a coach who achieved one of the most successful cycles in the history of that London club at Crystal Palace. In January 2026, the Premier League announced that the Austrian specialist had confirmed he would leave Palace when his contract expired at the end of the season, explaining that he would not sign a new deal. In that announcement, the league recalled that Glasner had taken over Palace in February 2024 after Roy Hodgson, finished the 2023/24 season in tenth place, and then led the club to its first FA Cup trophy in 2025. According to The FA, Crystal Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, and after the match Glasner emphasised the discipline, unity and defensive organisation of his team.
His rise at Palace was further confirmed at the end of May 2026, when the south London club won the UEFA Conference League. Crystal Palace’s official announcement states that the team defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Leipzig on May 27, 2026, and lifted a European trophy for the first time in the club’s history. According to that announcement, Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal in the 51st minute, and Palace secured qualification for the league phase of the UEFA Europa League for the 2026/27 season with that victory. In the same announcement, the club stressed that this was Glasner’s farewell to Selhurst Park and that he was leaving as a coach who had delivered three trophies in a short period.
Because of such a résumé, it is clear why Forest see Glasner as an opportunity they did not want to miss. The Guardian states that the club had the chance to appoint the Austrian after his departure from Palace and judged that he was a candidate who could better suit the profile of the team. Sky Sports News confirms that Glasner is a free coach after the expiry of his contract with Palace and that he is at the top of Forest’s list of potential successors. For a club that has spent recent months balancing between the fight for survival, European ambitions and the pressure of results, a coach with recent success in knockout competitions and experience of stabilising a team represents an attractive profile.
Why would Forest take a risk after Pereira’s success?
At first glance, the decision to terminate the contract of a coach who secured survival seems illogical, but the available reports suggest that the club’s assessment was broader than the mere end of the season. According to The Guardian, Forest activated the clause in Pereira’s contract and assessed that the opportunity to bring in Glasner had strategic value. Sky Sports News states that the club made the decision to move on after Pereira fulfilled the primary objective, which points to the conclusion that the board was not looking only at the result, but also at the coach’s long-term compatibility with the team’s development plan. In such situations, clubs often weigh continuity against the opportunity to appoint a coach considered to be a better tactical or organisational solution.
Pereira, on the other hand, can argue that he took on a demanding job at a moment when the season was already unstable. Sky Sports wrote in February that Forest were looking for a quick response after Dyche’s departure and that Pereira was a familiar face to owner Evangelos Marinakis because he had previously managed Olympiakos, another club in the Greek businessman’s ownership portfolio. The Portuguese coach arrived with experience of working in different leagues, including Porto, Fenerbahçe, Olympiakos, Wolverhampton and other clubs, but also with a reputation as a specialist who often stays for shorter periods than coaches tasked with long-term projects. In February, Forest accepted precisely that profile because they needed an immediate result.
Now, however, it appears that the board has concluded that the next phase requires a different approach. At Palace, Glasner built a recognisable model of play based on a compact structure, quick transitions and clear player roles in both defensive and attacking phases. Such a description stems from his results and his statements after major matches, including the FA Cup final, in which, according to The FA, he emphasised patience, closing down space and using the right moments to move forward. If he takes over Forest, he will face a different context: a club with greater pressure from internal instability, but also a squad that in previous transfer windows was shaped for more ambitious football than a fight for survival.
City Ground again at the centre of managerial instability
Nottingham Forest are a club of great history, but their modern Premier League era has been marked by constant attempts to find a balance between ambition and the reality of the competition. Returning to the top flight brought significantly greater expectations, greater financial pressure and the need for rapid adjustments, but frequent changes on the bench make it harder to create a stable sporting framework. Sky Sports already stressed in February, at the time of Pereira’s arrival, that Forest had already dismissed the third manager of the season, while Pereira was becoming the fourth. The Guardian now writes that Glasner would be the fifth manager in less than a year, placing Forest among the most unstable projects at the top level of English football.
Such dynamics have a direct effect on the team. Every new coach brings different demands, different terminology, different priorities in the transfer window and a different relationship with individual players. For the players, that means constant adaptation, and for the sporting department the need to quickly align strategy with changes on the bench. If Glasner takes the job, he will have to assess the existing squad in a short period, determine the leaders of the team and align preparations with his own requirements. Pre-season is crucial in such circumstances because it is the only period in which a new coach can introduce the basic principles of work without the rhythm of competitive matches.
At the same time, Forest’s board risks criticism if it turns out that the break with Pereira was premature. The Portuguese coach achieved the task for which he was brought in, and in football such success usually brings at least a chance to continue working. But the club’s logic, according to the available reports, rests on the assessment that Glasner is a rarely available option. If the Austrian confirms the reputation he built at Palace, the decision could look like a bold and timely move. If instability continues, the change will further raise the question of long-term planning at the City Ground.
What Glasner can bring to Forest
Glasner’s greatest strength is not only the number of trophies, but the way he won them with Crystal Palace. According to The FA’s official announcement after the 2025 FA Cup final, Palace survived long periods of pressure against Manchester City, defended in an organised way and used one of their few chances to score. A similar picture emerged in the 2026 Conference League final, according to Crystal Palace’s official report, in which the London team won their first European trophy with a narrow victory over Rayo Vallecano. Such results show that Glasner’s teams can play competitive football in high-stakes matches, which is a trait Forest may consider important in their attempt to stabilise in the Premier League.
In Nottingham, his task would be different from the one he had at Palace, but some principles could be transferable. Forest need a clear structure, a recognisable plan without the ball and a better balance between ambition going forward and risk control. Pereira, according to the February reports, was brought in to deliver points quickly and move the team away from the danger zone, while Glasner could receive a broader mandate if the agreement is confirmed. The Guardian writes that a three-year contract is expected, which, if it happens, would mark an attempt to create a longer cycle after a series of short mandates.
But no contract guarantees stability by itself. Glasner would have to be given space to work, support in the transfer window and time to transfer his ideas to the team. Palace had a strong finish to the cycle under his leadership, but that success was built through clearly defined roles and trust between the coach and the dressing room. Forest have shown in recent months that decisions can change very quickly, so the relationship between the coach, the sporting department and the ownership will be just as important as the tactical solutions. If that relationship does not stabilise, even the highest-quality coaching name will not solve structural problems by itself.
The agreement still awaits final confirmation
At the time of the available reports, Nottingham Forest had not publicly presented Glasner as the new coach, and the formulations of the leading British media differ in their degree of finality. Sky Sports News writes that talks are ongoing and that Glasner is the main candidate, while The Guardian states that Forest will appoint the Austrian as the new head coach after parting ways with Pereira. That difference does not change the basic picture: Pereira is on his way out, and Glasner is the most likely successor. Until official confirmation is published, the most precise way to describe the situation is as advanced talks and an expected outcome, not as a completed appointment.
For Pereira, such an end to his mandate would be short and sharp, but not without a sporting argument in his favour. He entered the club in the middle of the season, worked under the pressure of a fight for survival and, according to the reports, achieved the objective of staying in the Premier League. For Glasner, meanwhile, a potential arrival in Nottingham would mean a quick return to English football after an emotional departure from Crystal Palace. His last job ended with a European trophy, and the next one could begin at a club looking for exactly what he managed to build at Palace: a clear structure, belief in the plan and results that go beyond periods of instability.
Forest are now entering days in which it will become clear whether the board is ready to turn a managerial change into the beginning of a more stable project or whether the City Ground will remain a symbol of quick cuts and constant new beginnings. If the agreement with Glasner is concluded, the first task will be clear: to turn the sudden decision into a sustainable sporting plan before the new season brings the first serious pressure of results.
Sources:
- Sky Sports News – report on Nottingham Forest’s talks with Oliver Glasner and Vítor Pereira’s expected departure (link)
- The Guardian – report on the activation of the clause in Pereira’s contract and Glasner’s planned arrival (link)
- Sky Sports – report on Vítor Pereira’s appointment as Nottingham Forest head coach in February 2026 (link)
- Premier League – announcement on Oliver Glasner’s decision to leave Crystal Palace and his impact at the club (link)
- Crystal Palace FC – official announcement on winning the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League and Glasner’s farewell (link)
- The Football Association – report and reactions after Crystal Palace won the 2025 FA Cup under Oliver Glasner (link)