Premier League club Nottingham Forest confirms departure of coach Vitor Pereira

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest confirmed Thursday that coach Vitor Pereira has left the club, with Oliver Glasner reportedly expected to replace him.

Forest said it had decided to exercise a break clause in Pereira’s contract, despite the coach guiding the club to the Europa League semifinals last season.

Pereira had issued a statement on Wednesday saying he was “disappointed and saddened” by the club’s decision, which had come “as a complete surprise to me.”

“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,” Pereira said.

Forest did not immediately announce a replacement, but British media reports say Glasner is in line to take the job.

Glasner left Crystal Palace this summer after leading the London club to the Conference League title a year after winning the FA Cup for the first trophy in its history.

Pereira arrived in February as Forest’s fourth manager of the season, after Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche. The Portuguese coach led Forest to a 16th-place finish in the 20-team Premier League.

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