Nottingham Forest break their silence after surprise Vitor Pereira exit | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have officially confirmed the departure of manager Vitor Pereira and his coaching staff.

It comes after the Portuguese boss described his exit as a "complete surprise and without any warning".

Pereira, 57, had only signed an 18-month contract at the City Ground in February, yet successfully guided Forest to Premier League survival and a Europa League semi-final.

The club thanked Pereira and his team for their "considerable efforts" and providing them with “the foundations upon which we will continue to build”.

“Nottingham Forest can confirm that Vitor Pereira has left his role as head coach following the club’s decision to exercise a mutual break clause in his contract,” a statement on Forest’s website read.

“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 Vitor and his team for their hard work and commitment throughout their time at the club.

open image in gallery

the Portuguese boss described his exit as a ‘complete surprise and without any warning’ (Mike Egerton/PA)

“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.”

Reports have suggested that Oliver Glasner is set to take over following his departure from Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

Pereira said in his statement on Wednesday: “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.”