Forest hand Pereira 18-month deal amid survival battle

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Portuguese coach Vítor Pereira as their new head coach on an 18-month contract, in a bid to steady the club’s precarious Premier League position and ignite a turnaround in form.

Pereira, 57, arrives at the City Ground with a wealth of experience in major leagues across Europe, the Middle East, China and South America, and joins Forest as their fourth head coach of the 2025-26 season following the recent dismissal of Sean Dyche.

Forest’s announcement confirmed that Pereira will be joined by a backroom team including assistant coaches Filipe Jorge Monteiro Almeida and Luis Miguel Moreira Da Silva, head of physical performance and opposition analysis Bruno Filipe Araujo De Moura, and opposition analyst Pedro Simao Capela Silva Lopes.

Pereira began his coaching career in Portugal in 2002 and first came to prominence with FC Porto, leading them to back-to-back league titles in the early 2010s.

His success has spanned continents, winning a league and cup double with Olympiacos in Greece and guiding Shanghai SIPG to their first Chinese Super League title before adding a Chinese Super Cup.

His managerial journey has also taken in Fenerbahçe in Turkey and top Brazilian sides Corinthians and Flamengo, adding to his tactical and cultural breadth.

Most recently, Pereira was in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he orchestrated a remarkable spell that included a six-game Premier League winning run to secure safety in the 2024-25 season, the longest in the top flight that campaign.

However, that promising spell at Wolves gave way to a challenging start to the current season, culminating in his dismissal in November 2025 after a run of poor results.

Forest are currently 17th in the Premier League, just three points above the drop zone with a crucial run of fixtures ahead. Pereira’s first test in charge comes in the Europa League play-offs away to Fenerbahçe,  one of his former clubs, before returning to domestic action with a home match against Liverpool.

The decision to appoint Pereira reflects Forest’s urgency to find a coach capable of both navigating a relegation battle and instilling a coherent tactical identity, drawing on his varied international experience.