Glasner Takes Forest Job With Europe Back on the Agenda

What happened: Oliver Glasner has taken over as Nottingham Forest head coach on a three-year contract, becoming the club's fifth head coach in less than 12 months. According to The Guardian, Glasner said talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis over a seafood platter in Athens helped convince him to leave Crystal Palace after two productive years there.

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The message from Glasner's first public framing was clear: Forest are not presenting survival as the ceiling. He said he wants to bring the sweet honey of European football back to the club and described Marinakis as possibly one of the few people more ambitious than himself. That matters because Forest's last season had two very different signals: they avoided relegation, but also reached the Europa League semi-finals.

Why it matters: This is not just a coaching change; it is a declaration of direction. Forest have moved quickly and often in the dugout, and appointing Glasner after his Palace spell suggests they want a coach with recent Premier League credibility and European-level tactical experience. The three-year contract gives the project a longer label than the club's recent turnover might suggest, but the real test will be whether recruitment and patience match the public ambition.

Transfer picture: Forest are pushing to sign Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, with The Guardian reporting he could become a club-record signing. That pursuit is linked to the expected departure of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City. Xavier Schlager is also described as close to joining on a free after leaving RB Leipzig, and Glasner hopes at least two new signings will be with the squad for next week's training camp in Portugal.

Tournament impact: For Forest, the immediate consequence is squad construction before European and domestic demands start to collide. A side that has recently lived near the relegation line but also gone deep in Europe needs more than headline ambition: it needs midfield control, rotation options and a stable tactical identity. Bergvall would be a major long-term bet if completed; Schlager would point more directly toward experience and structure.

What to watch: The Portugal camp is the short-term checkpoint. If Forest land two additions before then, Glasner gets time to install his ideas with key pieces present. If the Bergvall push drags or Anderson's exit leaves a gap, the new coach may start with the same tension Forest are trying to escape: big ambition, but a squad still being rebuilt around it.

Confidence: Confirmed by the source are Glasner's appointment, the three-year deal, his comments on Marinakis and Europe, the first meeting with the squad, Forest's push for Bergvall, Anderson's expected move to Manchester City, and Schlager being close on a free. Still needing follow-up are the completion of any transfer, the final fees, and how quickly Glasner's squad will be ready for competitive football.