Nottingham Forest Appoint Oliver Glasner as Head Coach

Nottingham Forest have turned to serial European winner Oliver Glasner as their new head coach, in a move that underlines both the club’s ambition and its appetite for controversy.

The Austrian replaces Vitor Pereira, sacked last week despite steering Forest to Premier League safety and a run to the Europa League semi-finals, where they fell to eventual winners Aston Villa. Survival and a European last four would usually buy time. At Forest, it bought a swift change of direction.

A serial winner walks into the City Ground

Glasner arrives with a résumé that carries weight in any boardroom. At 51, he has already lifted major European silverware with two different clubs and turned underdogs into awkward, dangerous opponents on the continent.

He took Eintracht Frankfurt to the 2021-22 Europa League title, ending the club’s four-decade wait for a major European trophy. In south London, he turned Crystal Palace into cup specialists. Under his watch, they claimed the FA Cup, then followed it up with the Europa Conference League last season, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in May to secure the club’s first European crown and a place in next season’s Europa League.

That kind of track record is exactly what appealed to Forest’s hierarchy.

"I'm delighted to join Nottingham Forest as head coach," Glasner said. He spoke of “a clear vision” from owner Evangelos Marinakis and the leadership team, and of the “trust and belief” placed in him and his staff to build a long-term future.

That word – trust – felt pointed. Forest have been anything but patient in recent years, yet Glasner insisted the shared commitment and the potential he sees in the squad convinced him this was the right project.

Marinakis raises the bar

Marinakis did not hide his expectations.

"In our discussions with Oliver, it was clear that we share the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed," the Forest owner said. He stressed that Forest’s goal is not simply to compete but “to win, to challenge for major honours” and to re-establish the club among the leading sides in England and Europe.

"Oliver is a winner," Marinakis added, praising his leadership, personality and the style of football his teams play.

For a club that still proudly wears its status as two-time European champions, those words matter. Glasner himself referenced that heritage, calling Forest “a club with incredible prestige and history” and hailing one of the most passionate fan bases in football. His promise was clear: build a team that can “take the club to the next level” and give supporters a side they can be proud of.

For now, his focus is immediate. Meet the players. Assemble his staff. Get to work in pre-season. He spoke of working “tirelessly” and said he “can’t wait to get started”. The romance of Forest’s past will not buy points in August.

A quiet snub with loud echoes

The appointment does not come without friction. Glasner’s switch to the City Ground drops him straight into the middle of a simmering dispute between Forest and his former employers.

Tension between the two clubs flared last season when UEFA ruled that Forest, not Palace, would take a Europa League spot. Palace were excluded because former co-owner John Textor also held a controlling interest in Lyon, a conflict that cost the south London club their place in the competition.

The decision left a bitter taste. Palace fans responded with a graphic banner aimed at Marinakis during a 1-1 Premier League draw at Selhurst Park on August 24, an incident that led to an FA misconduct charge.

Glasner then took Palace, demoted to the Conference League instead, all the way to the trophy. That triumph booked them a Europa League return, while Forest, despite their semi-final run, head into the new season without European football.

Against that backdrop, one detail in Forest’s announcement stood out. The club referenced Glasner’s achievements in south London, and name-checked Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt. They did not mention Crystal Palace by name.

It was a small omission, but a deliberate one. The rivalry that started in a UEFA committee room now stretches into the manager’s office.

A bold gamble on a bigger stage

Forest’s decision to move on from Pereira, and to bring in Glasner, is a clear statement: survival and near-misses are not enough. This is a club that wants nights under the lights in Europe, not just to remember the ones from the past.

Glasner has shown he can build sides that punch above their weight and navigate the chaos of knockout football. Now he walks into a club that craves that edge, but comes with its own brand of turbulence.

He inherits a squad that has proved it can stay up and scare big teams on its day. The challenge is to turn flashes of promise into a sustained identity – and to do it quickly in a league that does not wait for anyone.

Forest have hired a proven winner. The question now is whether they will give him the time and stability to win on their terms.