Nottingham Forest have sacked Vitor Pereira just four months after he took charge of the club.
Pereira replaced Sean Dyche in mid-February and led Forest to the semi-finals of last season’s Europa League, where they lost to eventual champions, Aston Villa.
The Portuguese also oversaw the Tricky Trees’ final 12 Premier League matches in which they suffered just three defeats and avoided relegation with a 16th-placed finish, in a period during which he oversaw away wins at Tottenham and Chelsea.
Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis however opted to go in a different direct in terms of club ambitions for the next season and relieved Pereira of his duties using a reported break clause within his contract, which was set to expire yesterday (30 June) when the clause was activated.
Pereira released a statement to the media on 1 July in which he thanked Forest for giving him the chance to lead the club despite the surprising nature of his departure.
“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.”
Forest subsequently released their own statement on 3 July confirming Pereira’s exit and praised him for his efforts and commitment throughout his time at the club to provide stability and a close bond between all aspects of the club.
“Nottingham Forest can confirm that Vítor Pereira has left his role as Head Coach following the Club’s decision to exercise a mutual break clause in his contract.
“His coaching staff – Filipe Almeida, Luis Miguel, Bruno Moura, Marco Knoop and Pedro Lopes – have also left the club.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Vítor and his team for their hard work and commitment throughout their time at the club.
“They represented Forest with enormous dedication, helping to secure the club’s status in the Premier League, guiding the squad to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, and providing us with the foundations upon which we will continue to build.
“Everyone at Nottingham Forest is grateful for their considerable efforts and for the relationships they forged with our players, staff and supporters.
“We thank them all for their service and wish them every success in the next stage of their careers.”
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