Nottingham Forest have become the first team in Premier League history to have four different permanent managers in the same season following the appointment of Vítor Pereira.
It was announced on Sunday that the outspoken Portuguese boss had been handed a contract which stretches to the summer of 2027 to replace the freshly sacked Sean Dyche. Nuno Espírito Santo only lasted the first three matches of the current campaign before tensions with Forest’s global head of football Edu Gaspar and owner Evangelos Marinakis ultimately led to his departure.
Ange Postecoglou barrelled into the City Ground in September only to be sacked two weeks before Halloween having failed to win any of his eight matches at the helm. Sean Dyche took 22 points from his 18 Premier League fixtures in the Forest dugout, yet his failure to inspire any sustained momentum brought an abrupt halt to his time in Nottingham.
Now it is Pereira’s turn to walk the narrow tightrope above the River Trent. The former Olympiacos coach has experience of Marinakis’s methods given their overlap with the Greek giants but his record in the Premier League is mixed.
Nottingham Forest is delighted to confirm that Vítor Pereira has been appointed as Head Coach on an 18-month deal.
Pereira began his managerial career in his homeland, Portugal, in 2002. After gaining extensive experience across the country, he took over Porto in 2011, where a… pic.twitter.com/nnHmRKPoLU
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 15, 2026
Pereira took over a Wolverhampton Wanderers side in December 2024 which sat 19th in the Premier League table, five points adrift of safety. Consecutive victories to begin his campaign inspired a much-needed boost before a run of six straight wins between the middle of March and end of April guaranteed survival.
However, Wolves’ 3–0 victory over Leicester City on April 26 would prove to be the last Premier League win of Pereira’s tenure. The Portuguese boss picked up three points from his next 14 top-flight fixtures, prompting his sacking in November.
Forest find themselves perched precariously on the fringes of the relegation zone, just one place and three points above West Ham United in 18th. To complicate Pereira’s task is the Europa League knockout rounds, which will serve as his first fixture in charge of Forest with a trip to Turkish outfit Fenerbahçe on Thursday. His maiden Premier League outing is a visit from Liverpool three days later.
Nottingham Forest’s 2025–26 Managers
|
Manager |
Appointed |
Dismissed |
|---|---|---|
|
Nuno Espírito Santo |
Dec. 20, 2023 |
Sept. 9, 2025 |
|
Ange Postecoglou |
Sept. 9, 2025 |
Oct. 20, 2025 |
|
Sean Dyche |
Oct. 21, 2025 |
Feb. 12, 2026 |
|
Vitor Pereira |
Feb. 15, 2026 |
TBD |
Every Premier League Club to Have Four Managers in the Same Season
Forest may be the first side to boast four different permanent bosses, but the hire-fire dogma of England’s top flight has seen nine other clubs turn to a quartet of coaches when including interims and caretakers. Eight were subsequently relegated.
Chelsea are the only exception to the rule.
During the first chaotic campaign of the BlueCo ownership back in 2022–23, the new hierarchy replaced Champions League-winning Thomas Tuchel with the costly Graham Potter. Once the expensive experiment with the former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach expired, his former assistant, Bruno Saltor, was called upon for one dire goalless draw with Liverpool before club legend Frank Lampard steered the ship for the remainder of a campaign which ended with a 12th-placed finish.
Anywhere above 18th would be warmly received by Forest this year.
|
Club |
Season |
Coaches |
|---|---|---|
|
Derby County |
2001–02 |
Jim Smith, Colin Todd, Billy McEwan*, John Gregory |
|
Newcastle |
2008–09 |
Kevin Keegan, Chris Hughton*, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer |
|
Portsmouth |
2008–09 |
Harry Redknapp, Joe Jordan & Tony Adams*, Tony Adams, Paul Hart |
|
Aston Villa |
2015–16 |
Tim Sherwood, Kevin MacDonald*, Remi Garde, Eric Black* |
|
Swansea City |
2016–17 |
Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley, Alan Curtis*, Paul Clement |
|
West Brom |
2017–18 |
Tony Pulis, Gary Megson*, Alan Pardew, Darren Moore |
|
Watford |
2019–20 |
Javi Gracia, Quique Sánchez Flores, Hayden Mullins*, Nigel Pearson |
|
Chelsea |
2022–23 |
Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor*, Frank Lampard* |
|
Leeds |
2022–23 |
Jesse Marsch, Michael Skubala*, Javi Gracia, Sam Allardyce |
|
Nottingham Forest |
2025–26 |
Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira |
* Caretaker/interim. Stats via the Premier League.
