Nottingham Forest 'contact' surprise managerial candidate after Ange Postecoglou sacking | OneFootball

The ex-Manchester City manager has been out of work since 2024

Nottingham Forest have reportedly been in contact with Roberto Mancini after sacking Ange Postecoglou in the immediate wake of their 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

Postecoglou’s hopes of a first win at Forest’s helm were dashed by a second half Blues blitz, and less than 20 minutes later the club announced his departure.

The Athletic report Forest have been in contact with Mancini, while BBC Sport add former Everton and Burnley manager Sean Dyche is also high on Evangelos Marinakis’ list.

Mancini’s last stint in management - a 14-month period in charge of Saudi Arabia’s national team - ended a year ago, prior to which he was Italy boss from 2018 to 2023. During that time, the Italian led his country to Euro 2020 victory but failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

After calling time on his playing career and leading both Fiorentina and Lazio to Coppa Italia glory in the early 2000s, Mancini won three straight Serie A titles with Inter Milan.

It was his following job that first earned him a place in English football history, though, as he guided Manchester City to their maiden Premier League title back in 2011-12. That was the penultimate campaign in a three-and-a-half season stay at the Etihad Stadium, during which Mancini won one FA Cup final (2010-11) and lost another (2012-13).

He was sacked by the Sky Blues in May 2023 following the latter defeat at the hands of Wigan and then spent the next several seasons between Galatasaray, Inter Milan and Zenit St Petersburg before turning to international management.

Mancini’s links to Forest come just days after it emerged that he was reportedly eyeing up the Manchester United post if Ruben Amorim was to be relieved of his duties.

Ready for a comeback? Sean Dyche is another rumoured candidate for the Forest head coach vacancy

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A former youth-team player at Forest in the late 1980s, Dyche was Burnley manager for nearly a decade before his two years in charge of the Toffees.

He never made a senior appearance at the City Ground but two of Dyche’s managerial assistants at both Burnley and Everton, Ian Woan and Steve Stone, spent at least a decade of their own respective playing careers with the club.

Postecoglou’s exit after a winless eight-game run leaves Forest 18th in the Premier League. They are also still seeking a win in the Europa League, a competition in which they are next in action against Porto on Thursday.