Nottingham Forest’s new manager Vitor Pereira says his existing relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis will help the pair steer the club towards Premier League safety.
The Portuguese becomes Forest’s fourth manager this season, with Sean Dyche following in the footsteps of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou when Marinakis moved to avoid Premier League relegation.
Pereira has previously worked with the Greek owner, leading Olympiakos to a league and cup double in 2015, and believes he is well suited to handle the pressures that come with the role.
“He’s ambitious, he wants to win, he’s emotional and I know him very well,” the former Wolves manager said in his first press conference.
“The conversation took place when I was at Olympiakos and I remember the energy and fire that we created.
“Greece is a bit like Turkey. There is fire inside and they like to see that energy and he asked me to be myself.
“He liked the fact that we worked together and won a league championship and a cup championship.
“We had a good relationship because we were in the middle of the season. He trusts my work and I trust his personality, because football also requires passion.”
“I have fire and passion. Football is my passion, something that goes to bed with me and wakes me up.”
“I came here intending to give everything I have, to give my body and soul to this club, to help it and to help it achieve it together.
“This is pressure, which means football is beautiful. We are better under pressure. We need pressure to be at the highest level.”
“Pressure is important in soccer.”
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Nottingham Forest’s fourth permanent manager this season – can Vitor Pereira keep the club in the Premier League? The former Wolves manager replaced Sean Dyche, who was in charge for just 114 days.
Pereira: We believe in our quality, we can continue to stand
Forest currently sit 17th in the Premier League, three points behind the bottom three teams, but Pereira is confident they can lead them to safety in the Premier League, citing the quality and ambition of his players as the main reasons.
He added: “I want to talk about the present and the future. But you know it’s a difficult season for the players because the methodology and the coaches are different.”
“It’s not an easy task, but I’m taking this job because I believe in the quality of the players, I believe in the potential of this club and the ambition of the president.”
“Of course I believe it’s possible (to stay). I believe we can get points, results and quality in games.”
“First the points, then the pints!”
Pereira’s first match will be on Thursday in the Europa League knockout round, which will be played three days later against Liverpool at the City Ground, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
During his time at Wolves, the Portuguese was often seen celebrating victories among the fans and was regularly pictured having a drink with supporters immediately after securing the three points.
“First the points, then the pints,” he said after Wolves beat Bournemouth in February 2025, ultimately leading them to safety by 17 points.
Wolves fan poses for photo with ‘First points, then pints’ flag to support Vitor Pereira
Word quickly permeated the stands, and fans often sang “See You at the Spoons” during games to praise their former manager.
Asked if the same tradition of celebrating with supporters is reflected in the East Midlands as it is in the West, Pereira said: “This is about my character.
“I’m not an actor. I’m a simple guy, an honest guy, confident and when I feel like I’m worthy of a pint, of course!”
Pereira: “There is no room for mistakes in the Premier League”
Despite discussing potential celebrations, Pereira is well aware of the task at hand and stressed that the margin of error is slim.
“I realized that this is a league where mistakes are not tolerated,” he said.
“Mistakes will punish us, the league will punish teams and clubs that make mistakes.
“At the high level of this league, there are conditions to compete, and you can lose in small details. Sometimes you lose in an instant, and sometimes you win in an instant.”
Nottingham Forest upcoming fixtures
Fenerbahce (A) – Europa League Knockout Play-offs First Leg – Thursday 19 February Kick-off 5.45pm Liverpool (H) – Premier League – Sunday 22 February, live on Sky Sports. 2pm kick-off Fenerbahce (H) – Europa League Knockout Play-Off Second Leg – Thursday 26th February Kick-off 8pm Brighton (A) – Premier League – Sunday 1st March, live on Sky Sports. 2pm kick-off Man City (A) – Premier League – Wednesday 4th March Kick-off 7:30pm Fulham (H) – Premier League – Saturday 14th March. Kickoff at 3pm
