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 move that underlines the club’s growing ambition – and reignites tension with Crystal Palace.
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. Survival and a European last four were not enough. Marinakis wants more.
A proven European operator
Glasner arrives with a CV built for owners who talk openly about winning, not merely competing. At 51, he has already stacked up major honours across two countries and three clubs.
He guided Crystal Palace to back-to-back trophies: the FA Cup two seasons ago, then the Europa Conference League last term, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in May to secure the club’s first major European title and a place in next season’s Europa League. Before that, he delivered Eintracht Frankfurt’s first European trophy in more than 40 years, lifting the Europa League in 2021-22.
This is not a project coach being asked to grow with the club. This is a coach brought in to hit the ground running.
Glasner made it clear why he has taken on the job.
He spoke of being “delighted” to join Forest and of early talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis and the hierarchy that convinced him there is “a clear vision” and “complete trust and belief” in him and his staff to build a long-term future. The potential he sees in the squad, he said, was decisive.
He called Forest “a club with incredible prestige and history, a two-time European Champion with one of the most passionate fan bases in football,” and set out a simple target: build a team that can take the club “to the next level” and make supporters proud.
His first steps will be immediate and practical: meet the players, meet the staff, and get to work as pre-season begins. He promised to work “tirelessly” to represent Forest with pride and to bring success on the pitch. No grandiose promises, but no lack of intent.
Marinakis raises the bar
If there was any doubt about the scale of Forest’s ambition, Marinakis removed it.
The owner described how, in talks with Glasner, it quickly became clear they share “the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed.” He pointed to Glasner’s track record of building outstanding teams and winning against strong opposition as the key attraction.
Marinakis did not hide Forest’s aspirations. The goal is to re-establish the club “among the leading clubs in England and Europe.” Not just to survive, not just to make up the numbers. To win. To challenge for major honours. To build a club that can stand proudly for years to come.
“Oliver is a winner,” he said, crediting the Austrian’s leadership, personality and the style of football his sides play. In Marinakis’ eyes, Glasner is the man to lead Forest into their “next chapter.”
Pereira’s abrupt exit, despite a season many clubs of Forest’s recent vintage would gladly accept, now looks less harsh and more calculated. The bar has moved.
Palace tension lingers in the background
Glasner’s move to the City Ground does not happen in a vacuum. It drops straight into an existing fault line between Forest and Crystal Palace.
The two clubs effectively battled for a Europa League place last season, with UEFA eventually ruling that Forest would take the spot and Palace would be excluded because former co-owner John Textor held a controlling interest in Lyon. Palace were pushed down into the Conference League, a decision that went down badly in south London.
The anger surfaced in August, when Palace fans unveiled a graphic banner targeting Marinakis during a 1-1 draw with Forest at Selhurst Park. The Football Association charged Palace with misconduct over the display.
Glasner then turned that Conference League “consolation prize” into a triumph, guiding Palace to European glory and, in doing so, booking them into the Europa League for the coming campaign. Forest, by contrast, head into the new season without European football.
That context makes Forest’s announcement on Glasner all the more pointed. In their statement, they referenced his achievements at Selhurst Park, and name-checked Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt. They did not mention Crystal Palace by name.
A small omission on paper. A loud one in the current climate.
A new chapter, and a test of intent
So Forest now hand the keys to a coach who has already conquered Europe’s secondary competitions and tasted domestic glory in England. Glasner walks into a club with history, an owner demanding progress, and a fan base that has had a taste of the big nights again.
He has shown he can build knockout-savvy teams that punch above their weight. He has shown he can turn perceived setbacks into silverware. Now he must show he can turn Forest’s raw potential and restless ambition into something more permanent.
The trophies on his CV say he is ready. The demands at the City Ground say he has no time to ease his way in.
