Nottingham Forest Appoint Oliver Glasner as New Head Coach
Nottingham Forest have turned to serial European winner Oliver Glasner as their latest answer to football’s hardest question: what comes after chaos?
The Austrian has been unveiled as Forest’s fifth head coach in less than a year, replacing Vitor Pereira, who was dismissed on Tuesday – just two minutes before an exit clause in his contract was due to expire. It was a ruthless, time-stamped reminder of the volatility at the City Ground.
Into that storm walks a coach who has made a habit of lifting trophies.
From Palace glory to Forest upheaval
Glasner, 51, arrives in Nottingham only a few months removed from the most successful spell in Crystal Palace’s history. Appointed there in 2024, he delivered the club’s first major honour by winning the FA Cup in his debut season, then backed it up with the Europa Conference League last term.
Palace started this season by edging Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield. Glasner had already announced in January that he would leave Selhurst Park at the end of the campaign, turning down a new contract in search of what he called “a new challenge”. Forest, with their ambition and instability in equal measure, have now provided it.
Contact with Glasner was first made earlier in the summer, long before Pereira’s brief tenure unravelled. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis did not hide his enthusiasm.
“Oliver is a winner,” Marinakis said. “It was clear that we share the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed.”
For a club that has burned through Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Pereira since September, those words will be tested quickly.
A proven European operator
Glasner arrives with a résumé that carries real weight in European competition. He is one of only three coaches to have won both the Europa League and the Europa Conference League, having guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2021-22 before adding the Conference League with Palace.
His teams have built a reputation for intensity, clear structure and a willingness to attack the biggest names. Marinakis leaned heavily on that track record.
“He has consistently demonstrated throughout his career that he can build outstanding teams and deliver success against the strongest competition,” the Forest owner said. “He has earned success through his leadership, his personality and the style of football his teams play.”
For Forest, who still trade on memories of European Cups under Brian Clough, the appeal is obvious.
Vision, trust and a long-term promise
Glasner spoke of alignment and belief as he set out his early message to supporters and players alike.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Trust and long term. Two phrases that have not often sat comfortably around Forest’s dugout in recent seasons. Yet that is exactly what Marinakis insists he wants.
“It has always been our goal to establish Nottingham Forest once again among the leading clubs in England and Europe,” he said. “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.”
The ambition is grand. The turnover has been brutal. Glasner steps into a club that craves stability but keeps reaching for the reset button.
Now a coach who has conquered Europe twice is being asked to tame the turbulence on the banks of the Trent and turn Forest’s restless ambition into something more solid: a team that wins, and a project that finally lasts.
