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 move that underlines the club’s growing ambition – and stokes an already simmering tension with Crystal Palace.
The Austrian replaces Vitor Pereira, who was abruptly dismissed last week despite steering Forest to Premier League safety and a Europa League semi-final, where they fell to eventual champions Aston Villa. Survival and a deep European run were not enough. The bar at the City Ground has been raised.
A proven winner arrives
Glasner, 51, walks into Nottingham with a trophy record that speaks loudly in any boardroom.
He has just delivered two major trophies in two seasons at Selhurst Park, lifting the FA Cup first and then guiding Palace to Europa Conference League glory with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in May. That European success came even after Palace were dropped into the Conference League because of ownership complications elsewhere in their network.
Before his time in England, Glasner built his reputation on the continent. He led Eintracht Frankfurt to the 2021-22 Europa League title, ending a wait of more than 40 years for a major European trophy and cementing his status as one of the sharpest operators in knockout football.
Now he brings that pedigree to a club that still trades on its own European heritage.
“I’m delighted to join Nottingham Forest as head coach,” Glasner said. “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.
“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.
“Nottingham Forest is a club with incredible prestige and history, a two-time European Champion with one of the most passionate fan bases in football. Our aim is to build a team that can help take the club to the next level in the years ahead and that our supporters can be proud of.
“My immediate focus is on meeting the players and staff and getting to work as we begin pre-season. I’m excited for the future and will work tirelessly to represent this great club with pride and to bring success on the pitch. I can’t wait to get started.”
Marinakis sets the tone
If there were any doubts about the scale of Forest’s ambition, Evangelos Marinakis removed them.
The club’s owner framed Glasner’s appointment as a key step in a broader project: not just to stay in the Premier League, but to re-establish Forest among the game’s elite.
“In our discussions with Oliver, it was clear that we share the same vision, the same ambition and the same relentless desire to succeed,” Marinakis said. “He has consistently demonstrated throughout his career that he can build outstanding teams and deliver success against the strongest competition.
“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.
“Oliver is a winner. He has earned success through his leadership, his personality and the style of football his teams play. We believe he is the right person to lead us into this next chapter, and I am delighted to welcome Oliver to the club.”
The message is clear: Forest do not see Glasner as a stabiliser. They see him as a springboard.
A quiet snub, a loud subtext
Glasner’s switch to the City Ground does not happen in a vacuum. It drops straight into a fraught recent history between Forest and Crystal Palace.
Last season, both clubs effectively fought over a place in the Europa League. UEFA eventually ruled that Forest would take the spot ahead of Palace, after the south London club were excluded because former co-owner John Textor held a controlling interest in Lyon.
The decision infuriated Palace supporters. During a 1-1 draw with Forest at Selhurst Park on August 24, home fans unveiled a graphic banner targeting Marinakis. The fallout led to a misconduct charge from the Football Association.
Glasner responded on the pitch. Demoted to the Conference League, Palace went on to win it, claiming a European trophy and securing Europa League football for next season. Forest, by contrast, finished the campaign without any European competition to look forward to.
Against that backdrop, one detail in Forest’s announcement stood out. The club referenced Glasner’s achievements at Selhurst Park, but did not name Crystal Palace. Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt were mentioned explicitly. Palace were not.
It was a small omission, but in a rivalry already sharpened by boardroom politics and European rulings, it will not go unnoticed in south London.
A new chapter at a restless club
Glasner inherits a squad that has already proved it can survive in the Premier League and go deep in Europe, but one that now faces a different kind of pressure. Pereira’s sacking, despite a season many would consider a success, shows how thin the margin for comfort has become.
Forest want more. More control, more identity, more silverware.
In Glasner, they have hired a coach who thrives on knockout nights and has shown he can impose a clear style under demanding owners. The challenge now moves to the training pitches and dressing rooms of pre-season, where his ideas must take root quickly.
Forest have reached for a winner. The question is whether the club, and the league, are ready for what happens if he wins big again.
