Vitor Pereira: Nottingham Forest boss believes he has the trust of owner Evangelos Marinakis and can avoid relegation

New Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira says his pre-existing relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis will help the pair steer the club to Premier League safety.

The Portuguese has become Forest's fourth manager of the season after Sean Dyche followed Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou out of the door as Marinakis acted in a bid to avoid Premier League relegation.

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Pereira has worked with the Greek owner before - guiding Olympiakos to a league and cup double in 2015 - and believes that stands him in good stead to deal with the pressure that comes in the role.

"He's ambitious. He wants to win, he's emotional and I know him very well," the former Wolves boss said at his first press conference.

"The conversations were about our time in Olympiakos. I remember the energy and the fire we created.

"Greece is a bit like Turkey. There is fire inside; they like to see the energy and he asked me to be myself.

"He liked the way that when we worked together, we got the league and the cup.

"It was in the middle of the season and we created a good relationship. He trusts my work, I trust his personality because in football, we need passion too.

"I have fire and I have passion. Football is my passion, something that sleeps and wakes with me.

"I came with the intention to give everything of myself, to give my body and soul to this club to help the club and together we can do it.

"This is the pressure that means football is beautiful. We are better under pressure. I need the pressure to be in my best level.

"Pressure is important in football."

Pereira: I believe in our quality, we can stay up

Forest currently sit 17th in the Premier League, three points above the bottom three, but Pereira is confident he can be the man to guide them to safety, citing the quality and ambition of the players as a key reason why.

He added: "I prefer to speak about the present and the future. But you know this is a difficult season for the players, because it's different methodologies, different managers.

"It's not easy, but I believe the reason why I accept this job is that I believe in the quality of the players, because I believe in the potential of this club, the ambition of the president.

"Of course, I believe that it's possible (to stay up). I believe that we can get points, results and quality in the games."

'First the points, then the pints!"

Pereira's first game in charge arrives in the Europa League knock-out play-off on Thursday, before then facing Liverpool at the City Ground three days later, live on Sky Sports.

During his time at Wolves, the Portuguese would often celebrate victories among the fans and had regularly been pictured drinking with supporters in the aftermath of securing three points.

"First the points, then the pints," he said after Wolves beat Bournemouth in February 2025, before eventually guiding them to safety by a healthy 17-point margin.

It was a saying which quickly filtered into the stands, with fans often serenading their former boss with songs of 'We'll see you in 'Spoons [Wetherspoons]' during games.

When asked if the same tradition of joining supporters to celebrate would translate to the east Midlands as it did in the west, Pereira said: "This is something about my personality.

"I'm not an actor, I'm a simple guy, an honest guy, confident and when I feel I deserve the pints - of course!"

Pereira: No room for mistakes in the Premier League

Despite discussing potential celebrations, Pereira is fully aware of the task at hand and highlighted the narrow margin for error.

"I learned this is a league in which we cannot make mistakes," he said.

"The mistakes will punish us. The league will punish the teams and the clubs that make mistakes.

"The high level of this league has conditions to compete and in a small detail you can lose. In a second you can lose and in a second you can win."

Nottingham Forest's upcoming fixtures

• Fenerbahce (A) - Europa League knockout play-off first leg - Thursday February 19; kick-off 5.45pm
• Liverpool (H) - Premier League - Sunday February 22, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 2pm
• Fenerbahce (H) - Europa League knockout play-off second leg - Thursday February 26; kick-off 8pm
• Brighton (A) - Premier League - Sunday March 1, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 2pm
• Man City (A) - Premier League - Wednesday March 4; kick-off 7.30pm
• Fulham (H) - Premier League - Saturday March 14; kick-off 3pm

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Vitor Pereira: Nottingham Forest boss believes he has the trust of owner Evangelos Marinakis and can avoid relegation