Nottingham Forest Appoint Oliver Glasner as New Head Coach
Nottingham Forest have turned to serial European winner Oliver Glasner as their new head coach, in a bold move that underlines the club’s refusal to settle for mere survival.
The Austrian replaces Vitor Pereira, who was dismissed 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. The decision raised eyebrows; the replacement explains it.
A serial winner walks into the City Ground
Glasner arrives with a record that demands attention. At 51, he has already collected major European honours with two different clubs and transformed another into a trophy-winning force in England.
He guided Crystal Palace to back-to-back major trophies, lifting the FA Cup and then the Europa Conference League in successive seasons. Palace’s 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in May sealed European silverware and booked them a place in next season’s Europa League – a competition Forest will watch from home.
Before that, Glasner wrote his name into Eintracht Frankfurt folklore. He led the German side to the 2021-22 Europa League title, their first major European trophy in more than 40 years, navigating a route littered with heavyweight opponents and pressure nights.
This is the résumé Forest have bought into.
“I’m delighted to join Nottingham Forest as head coach,” Glasner said. From his first conversations with owner Evangelos Marinakis and the club’s hierarchy, he spoke of a “clear vision” and “complete trust and belief” in him and his staff to build something over the long term.
The words were measured, but the intent was not. Glasner talked about the “potential” he sees in the squad, the “incredible prestige and history” of a two-time European champion, and his desire to build a team that can “take the club to the next level” and make supporters proud.
His focus, he insisted, is immediate: meet the players, meet the staff, get to work as pre-season begins. “I can’t wait to get started,” he said, promising to work “tirelessly” to bring success back to a club that still lives in the long shadow of its glory years.
Marinakis makes his play
If there was any doubt about Forest’s ambitions, Marinakis removed it.
“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 owner said. He spoke of a manager who “consistently demonstrated” an ability to build outstanding teams and deliver success “against the strongest competition”.
Marinakis did not talk about stabilising in mid-table or consolidating a Premier League place. He talked about re-establishing Forest “among the leading clubs in England and Europe”, about an ambition “not simply to compete” but “to win, to challenge for major honours”.
His description of Glasner was simple: “Oliver is a winner.” Leadership, personality, and the style of football his teams play were all cited as reasons he is “the right person to lead us into this next chapter”.
The message was clear. Survival is no longer the bar. Forest want more.
A quiet snub and a noisy backstory
Glasner’s arrival at the City Ground does not come in a vacuum. His move is laced with tension and subtext, much of it running between Nottingham and south London.
Forest and Crystal Palace were effectively in competition for a Europa League place last season, a battle ultimately settled not on the pitch but in UEFA’s corridors. Forest were granted entry to the Europa League at Palace’s expense after the governing body ruled against the south London club because former co-owner John Textor held a controlling interest in Lyon.
The fallout was immediate and bitter. Palace fans responded with a graphic banner aimed at Marinakis during a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on August 24, a protest that led to an FA misconduct charge for the club.
The sporting irony came later. Palace, demoted to the Conference League instead, went on to win it under Glasner, while Forest’s own European adventure ended in the Europa League semi-finals and will not be repeated next season.
Against that backdrop, Glasner crossing the divide to take charge at Forest carries a sharp edge. The club’s official announcement only added to it. His achievements at Selhurst Park were referenced, his previous roles at Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt were highlighted, but the name “Crystal Palace” never appeared.
It was a conspicuous omission. Palace were everywhere in the story, yet nowhere in the statement.
A new chapter, high expectations
Forest now hand the keys to a coach who has repeatedly shown he can win knockout ties, shape resilient teams and thrive under pressure. He inherits a squad that has flirted with danger and tasted Europe in the same breath, and a fanbase that still measures itself against European Cups and famous nights under the lights.
Glasner has never shied away from big expectations. At Frankfurt, at Palace, he walked into clubs craving a step up and delivered trophies. At Forest, the demand is similar, but the stage feels bigger, the history heavier.
The City Ground will soon get its first look at a manager who has made a habit of turning potential into silverware. The question now is not whether Oliver Glasner is a winner.
It is whether Nottingham Forest are truly ready to live with the consequences of appointing one.
