Nottingham Forest Appoint Oliver Glasner to End Managerial Churn

Nottingham Forest have turned to serial cup winner Oliver Glasner as the man to end their managerial churn and drag the club towards the ambitions of its owner.

The Austrian, fresh from a glittering spell at Crystal Palace, becomes 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. The timing underlined the ruthlessness at the City Ground. The appointment that followed shows the scale of the club’s intent.

From Palace glory to Forest rebuild

Glasner, 51, left Palace at the end of last season with his stock soaring. He took over at Selhurst Park in 2024 and delivered what generations of Palace supporters had waited for: the club’s first major trophy, the FA Cup, in his very first campaign. He then backed it up with European silverware, guiding Palace to the Europa Conference League title last season.

The momentum didn’t stop there. In August, his side edged Liverpool on penalties to lift the Community Shield, underlining a knack for winning big matches on big stages.

By January, though, Glasner had already signalled that his time in south London would end. Offered a new contract, he chose the unknown instead, speaking openly about wanting a new challenge. That decision has now led him to the banks of the Trent.

Contact between Forest and Glasner began earlier in the summer, as the club quietly sounded out a coach whose CV already included a Europa League triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22. That victory, combined with his Conference League success at Palace, places him in an elite group: one of only three managers to have lifted both competitions.

Forest’s revolving door

His arrival caps a chaotic sequence in the Forest dugout. Nuno Espirito Santo started last season in charge. Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche each had turns at the helm. Then came Pereira, whose brief tenure ended with that extraordinary, down-to-the-minute sacking.

Now comes Glasner, the latest to be handed the task of matching Forest’s historic stature with modern results.

For owner Evangelos Marinakis, this is not a tentative step. It is a statement.

“Oliver is a winner,” Marinakis said, making his stance clear. “It was obvious that we share the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed.”

He did not stop there. Marinakis spoke of a coach who “has consistently demonstrated throughout his career that he can build outstanding teams and deliver success against the strongest competition,” praising Glasner’s leadership, personality and the style of football his teams play.

The message from the top is unmistakable: Forest are not content to simply stay afloat.

“It has always been our goal to establish Nottingham Forest once again among the leading clubs in England and Europe,” Marinakis 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.”

Glasner’s vision at the City Ground

Glasner, for his part, spoke with the assurance of a man used to walking into demanding environments and leaving with trophies.

“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.

He highlighted that trust, and what he sees within the dressing room, as decisive.

“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.”

The word “together” did a lot of work there. Forest have lurched from one idea to another in recent seasons. Glasner arrives with a proven blueprint: disciplined organisation, sharp transitions, and a team that embraces the pressure of knockout football. He has built sides that punch above their weight and relish upsetting established orders.

Now he steps into a club that once ruled Europe and has been trying to rediscover its identity ever since.

The question is no longer whether Nottingham Forest can attract a coach with a modern European pedigree. They have one. The question now is whether the club can finally give Oliver Glasner the stability and platform his track record deserves – and whether his habit of winning cups can be translated into something even bigger on the banks of the Trent.