Nottingham Forest Appoint Oliver Glasner as Head Coach

Nottingham Forest have officially named Oliver Glasner as their new head coach, bringing the Austrian tactician to the City Ground after a sudden and surprising managerial vacancy. Glasner takes over from Vitor Pereira, who was dismissed last week despite guiding Forest to Premier League safety and a run to the Europa League semifinals – where they were eliminated by eventual champions Aston Villa. The 51-year-old Glasner arrives with a strong European pedigree. During his time at Crystal Palace, he delivered two major trophies: the FA Cup in 2023-24 and the Europa Conference League last season. Before that, he led Eintracht Frankfurt to the 2021-22 Europa League title, the club’s first major continental silverware in over 40 years. In his first comments as Forest boss, Glasner said: “I’m delighted to join Nottingham Forest as head coach. From my very first conversations with the owner and the leadership team, it was evident to me that they have a clear vision for this football club and complete trust and belief in me and my staff to build a strong future together over the long term. “That trust and shared commitment, together with the potential that I see within the squad, were key factors for me and I am excited about what we can achieve together. “Nottingham Forest is a club with incredible prestige and history, a two-time European Champion with one of the most passionate fan bases in football. Our aim is to build a team that can help take the club to the next level in the years ahead and that our supporters can be proud of. “My immediate focus is on meeting the players and staff and getting to work as we begin pre-season. I’m excited for the future and will work tirelessly to represent this great club with pride and to bring success on the pitch. I can’t wait to get started.” Owner Evangelos Marinakis backed the appointment, calling Glasner a winner. “In our discussions with Oliver, it was clear that we share the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed. He has consistently demonstrated throughout his career that he can build outstanding teams and deliver success against the strongest competition. “It has always been our goal to establish Nottingham Forest once again among the leading clubs in England and Europe. Our ambition is not simply to compete – our ambition is to win, to challenge for major honours and to create a football club that our supporters can be proud of for many years to come. “Oliver is a winner. He has earned success through his leadership, his personality and the style of football his teams play. We believe he is the right person to lead us into this next chapter, and I am delighted to welcome Oliver to the club.” Glasner’s move carries an undercurrent of tension between Forest and Crystal Palace. The two clubs were embroiled in a European qualification dispute last season, with UEFA awarding Forest a Europa League spot over Palace due to Palace’s co-owner John Textor also holding a stake in Lyon. Palace fans displayed a banner targeting Marinakis during a Premier League match, leading to an FA charge against the club. Though Glasner led Palace to the Conference League title – a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in May – and that win secured Palace’s place in next season’s Europa League, Forest did not mention Crystal Palace by name in their official announcement. His previous roles at Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt were highlighted, along with his achievements at Selhurst Park, but the Eagles were conspicuously absent from the statement.