Vitor Pereira was brutally sacked by Nottingham Forest via email at 11:58pm on June 30, just one day after approving the club's participation in a pre-season tournament against Udinese and Barcelona in Italy. The Portuguese manager, who replaced Sean Dyche in February and guided the club to Premier League safety and the Europa League semi-finals, is now set to be succeeded by Oliver Glasner.
Contract Clause and Dismissal
Pereira's contract, due to run until 2027, contained a discreet clause enabling the parties to part company by mutual agreement. At 11:58pm on June 30, he received an email confirming that he was being relieved of his duties. Since the end of last season, Pereira consulted with the club on several technical decisions, including organising friendlies against Blackburn Rovers, Vitoria Guimaraes, Sporting CP, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, and Udinese. He was also present for a recruitment meeting in London where he discussed and finalised Forest's list of summer transfer targets.
Achievements at the City Ground
Pereira put himself in the shop window at the City Ground after achieving several milestones, including Forest's first European semi-final since 1984, the club's biggest ever European away win against Fenerbahce (3-0), and the club's biggest away win (5-0 vs Sunderland) since 1995. He also helped Morgan Gibbs-White enjoy a brilliant second half of the season.
Pereira's Statement
Pereira said on his dismissal via a statement: "Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest. I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club's right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future."
"Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months. Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club's Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness. Watching them develop, fight for one another and represent this club with passion has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career."
"I would like to thank my coaching staff, the players, everyone behind the scenes, and especially the supporters. From my first day, your passion, loyalty and unwavering support made me feel incredibly welcome. You were with us through every challenge and every success, and I will always be grateful for that."
"I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection."
"I wish the players, the staff, the supporters and everyone at Nottingham Forest every success in the future. This is a special club, and I sincerely hope it continues to grow and achieve great things. Thank you for everything, Vitor Pereira."
Successor Expected
Ex-Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is set to replace Pereira at the City Ground, according to reports.
