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 and politically charged appointment that sends a clear signal about where the club believe they belong.

The Austrian replaces Vitor Pereira, dismissed last week despite steering Forest to Premier League safety and a run to the Europa League semi-finals, where they fell to eventual champions Aston Villa. Survival and a European last four was not enough. The bar has been raised.

A proven winner arrives

Glasner, 51, does not come quietly. His CV lands with a thud.

He has lifted three major European trophies in the last four seasons: the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22, then back-to-back silverware with Crystal Palace – the FA Cup, followed by the Europa Conference League. Frankfurt’s triumph ended a European drought of more than 40 years. Palace’s delivered the first major continental trophy in the club’s history.

Forest’s hierarchy see that track record as the blueprint.

"I'm delighted to join Nottingham Forest as head coach," Glasner said. He spoke of early talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis and the club’s leadership that convinced him there was “a clear vision” and “complete trust and belief” in him and his staff to build something lasting.

The word “future” came up often. So did “potential”.

Glasner highlighted what he sees inside the dressing room already, describing the squad’s promise as a key factor in his decision. He also leaned heavily on the club’s identity: a “two-time European Champion” with “one of the most passionate fan bases in football”.

That history matters to him. The job, as he framed it, is to build a team capable of taking Forest “to the next level in the years ahead” and one “our supporters can be proud of”.

The short term, though, is very simple. Meet the players. Meet the staff. Get to work.

"My immediate focus is on meeting the players and staff and getting to work as we begin pre-season," he said, promising to “work tirelessly” and “bring success on the pitch”. The final line landed like a coach already impatient for the first whistle: “I can't wait to get started."

Marinakis lays down the challenge

If there was any doubt about the scale of expectation, 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 Forest owner said.

He praised Glasner’s record of building “outstanding teams” and delivering “success against the strongest competition”, then set out the club’s target with striking bluntness.

Forest, he insisted, are not here just to participate.

"It has always been our goal to establish Nottingham Forest once again among the leading clubs in England and Europe. 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 verdict on his new coach was equally direct. "Oliver is a winner," Marinakis said, pointing to Glasner’s leadership, personality and the style of football his sides play as the reasons he is “the right person to lead us into this next chapter”.

Forest have survived. Now they want to matter.

A move laced with tension

Glasner’s route to the City Ground is not without friction.

His departure from Crystal Palace comes against a backdrop of simmering tension between the two clubs, rooted in last season’s battle for a European place. Both teams were effectively competing for one Europa League berth, and when UEFA finally ruled, it was Forest who stepped into the competition at Palace’s expense.

The decision had nothing to do with results on the pitch. Palace were excluded because former co-owner John Textor also held a controlling interest in Lyon, breaching UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.

The fallout was fierce. Palace fans unfurled a graphic banner targeting Marinakis during a 1-1 draw with Forest at Selhurst Park on August 24, a protest that led to a misconduct charge from the Football Association.

Glasner, left to deal with the consequences of that boardroom tangle, responded the only way he knows. He took Palace into the Europa Conference League and won the whole thing, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in May’s final. That victory secured Europa League football for the south London side next season.

Forest, by contrast, will have no European campaign.

The irony is sharp. The coach who delivered Palace’s European glory and a return to the Europa League now crosses to a club that, for this season at least, must watch from home.

The club that dare not speak its name

One detail in Forest’s announcement underlined how raw the relationship remains.

In their statement unveiling Glasner, Forest referenced his achievements in England and Europe. They mentioned Wolfsburg. They mentioned Eintracht Frankfurt. They listed the trophies he won at Selhurst Park.

They did not name Crystal Palace.

It was a small omission, but a pointed one. The tension between the clubs has not disappeared; it has simply changed form. Next season’s meetings will carry more than the usual Premier League edge.

For now, though, Forest have their man. A coach who thrives in knockout football, who has made a habit of upsetting bigger reputations on European nights, and who now walks into a club determined to reclaim its own.

The question is no longer whether Nottingham Forest can stay up. Under Oliver Glasner, the question becomes: how far can they dare to climb?