Vitor Pereira ‘trusts’ Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis despite 3 sackings this season
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New Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira during a previous spell as Wolverhampton Wanderers boss.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Vitor Pereira said he trusts Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, despite becoming the fourth manager of the English Premier League side this season.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss has taken over at the City Ground on an 18-month deal, after Sean Dyche followed Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou in being fired by Marinakis since August.
Pereira previously worked under Marinakis during a successful spell at Greek giants Olympiakos.
“He is ambitious, he wants to win,” the 57-year-old Portuguese said as he was unveiled at a press conference on Feb 17. “(He’s) emotional, I know him very well.
“The conversation was about our time in Olympiakos. I remember the energy and the fire we created. In Greece, there is a fire inside, they like to see the energy.
“He asked me to be myself, he liked the way when we worked together we won the league and Cup.
“It was in the middle of the season and we created a good relationship. He trusts my work, I trust his personality.”
Pereira’s first match in charge will be the Europa League, first-leg play-off visit to Fenerbahce on Feb 19.
Forest then host champions Liverpool in the Premier League on Feb 22 before welcoming Fenerbahce to the City Ground for the second leg four days later.
The Turkish giants have won just one of their last nine matches against English sides (six losses and five draws, including qualifiers).
Only three teams scored more goals in the group phase than Forest, who netted 15 goals in eight matches, with Igor Jesus being the tournament’s second-highest scorer with six goals in six games.
Pereira inherits a side just three points outside the relegation zone with 12 games of the Premier League season remaining.
He had guided Wolves away from the relegation zone last season before being sacked in November after a 10-game winless start to the campaign.
But Pereira is confident that Forest, who finised seventh last season, have the quality to survive.
“This is a difficult season for the players, because it’s different methodologies, different managers,” he added.
“It’s not easy, but I believe the reason why I accept this job is because 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.” AFP
