Nottingham Forest’s new head coach Oliver Glasner has pointed to the owner’s ambition as the main reason for his move from Crystal Palace to the City Ground. The Austrian, who has signed a three-year contract, said discussions with chairman Evangelos Marinakis convinced him Forest offer a platform for progress.
Owner’s vision swayed manager
Glasner made the decision after meeting Marinakis during a dinner in Athens, where they discussed the club’s direction and long-term aims. The 51-year-old described the conversations as pivotal, saying Marinakis’s appetite for success was a major attraction.
“My goal was to mainly stay in the Premier League. I had great talks with the owner, I went to Athens for a dinner. We talked about the vision for the club, the ambition.”
He added that, while Forest spent last season battling to avoid relegation, the squad contains significant potential and that the ownership’s determination persuaded him to take on the job. Glasner said he found Marinakis to be “one of the few persons who is more ambitious than I am”, and expects that shared drive will be mutually challenging and productive.
Stability and expectations at the City Ground
The appointment makes Glasner the fifth man to lead the senior team in the last year, following a turbulent period that saw the club replace Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira. Glasner acknowledged the club’s recent managerial turnover but said he does not dwell on the prospect of dismissals; his focus is on improving performance and delivering results.
- Contract length: Three years (appointment confirmed at the start of July)
- Previous role: Two years at Crystal Palace, where he won the FA Cup and Europa Conference League
- Club context: Forest have shown both relegation battles and near-European qualification in recent seasons
Glasner stressed his approach is practical: rather than preoccupying himself with job security, he is concentrating on what is required to bring success to Nottingham Forest. He estimated that the changes he expects from the playing squad will take several months to embed.
| Recent Forest managers | Context |
|---|---|
| Nuno Espirito Santo | One of four predecessors in the last 12 months |
| Ange Postecoglou | Short spell at the club during the same period |
| Sean Dyche | Also part of the rapid turnover |
| Vitor Pereira | Immediate predecessor before Glasner’s arrival |
| Oliver Glasner | New appointment, three-year deal |
Supporters and local observers will be watching how Glasner translates ambition into results. His recent record includes silverware and European success during his time at Selhurst Park, achievements he will be expected to replicate or improve upon at the City Ground.
For Forest, the challenge is to combine ownership’s financial and strategic intent with managerial stability and coherent squad development. Glasner’s comments underline that the club’s hierarchy has persuaded him their aims match his own — now the task is to turn that shared ambition into on-pitch progress.
