Forest open Pereira talks after sacking DycheImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Sean Dyche took over as Nottingham Forest boss in OctoberByNick MashiterFootball reporter and Sami MokbelSenior football correspondent
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Nottingham Forest have opened talks with former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira after Sean Dyche was sacked following just 114 days in charge.
Forest were held to a goalless draw at home by bottom club Wolves on Wednesday, leaving them three points above the Premier League relegation zone with 12 games remaining.
Sources have told BBC Sport that Pereira is a leading contender to replace Dyche, having worked previously under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Greek club Olympiacos.
Pereira, 57, was credited for keeping Wolves in the Premier League last season having joined mid-way through the campaign, but he was sacked in November with Wolves on two points from 10 matches.
Dyche’s departure means Forest are searching for their fourth permanent head coach of the season, having sacked Ange Postecoglou in October and Nuno Espirito Santo in September.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” a statement read.
“We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future. We will be making no further comment at this time.”
Wasteful Forest held at home to Wolves
Postecoglou lasted just 39 days in the job after replacing Nuno, who was sacked just three matches into the 2025-26 campaign.
Dyche took over at the City Ground with Forest 18th in the table after one win in eight games during a difficult start to the season.
After a 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth in his first match in charge, Dyche led Forest to four wins and one draw in their next seven to guide them out of the drop zone.
A run of four consecutive defeats followed, but Dyche’s side responded with a four-match unbeaten run – including a 2-1 win at fellow strugglers West Ham and a resilient goalless draw with leaders Arsenal.
However, the improved form of Leeds United and West Ham has kept Forest mired in the relegation battle.
Forest finished 13th in the Europa League group table, with four wins, two draws and two defeats in their eight matches, to reach the knockout phase.
They face Turkish side Fenerbahce over two legs this month for the chance to reach the last 16, with the first leg taking place on Thursday, 19 February.
Forest are out of both domestic cup competitions, losing 3-2 to Swansea under Postecoglou in the EFL Cup third round in September and exiting the FA Cup on penalties to another Championship side, Wrexham, in the third round under Dyche last month.
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Missed Champions League chances
After being in contention for Champions League qualification for much of last season, Forest picked up just eight points from their final eight matches.
They finished seventh and qualified for the Conference League but were moved into the Europa League for 2025-26 at Crystal Palace’s expense after the Eagles were deemed to be in breach of multi-club ownership rules.
During that downturn in form, Nuno’s relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis deteriorated and he was sacked in September.
Dyche was on the books of Forest as a youth-team player in the late 1980s when Brian Clough was manager, but never made a first-team appearance.
He was previously in charge of Everton before being sacked after just under two years in charge of the Toffees in January 2025.
Prior to that Dyche spent nearly a decade as Burnley manager between October 2012 and April 2022, twice winning promotion to the top flight and helping the Clarets qualify for Europe for the first time since 1967.
He also had a stint in charge of Watford for the 2011–12 season, only to lose his job following a change of ownership.
Watch Dyche’s final interview as Nottingham Forest manager
‘If the owner wants to make a change, that’s up to him’
Following Forest’s 0-0 draw with Wolves on Wednesday, Dyche sounded like a man who knew what was to follow.
After an incredible 35 attempts on goal without scoring – more attempts than any team Dyche has managed in his 351 games in charge – the draw left them just three points clear of the drop zone.
A frustrated Marinakis was pictured frequently during the City Ground draw with him appearing to be growing increasingly frustrated with every missed opportunity.
Post match – and before his dismissal – Dyche reported: “The owner has been fair to me, without a shadow of a doubt. If anyone chooses to change in football now, that’s their decision. We’ve all seen it.
“People can demand change, and then it’s always whether they change or not.
“If the owner wants to make a change then that’s up to him, and that’s the way football is now, that’s just the reality of it.
“I understand the noise here has changed significantly since the last few games.”
Dyche undoubtedly arrived at Forest in difficult circumstances, but he appeared to steady the ship after a poor run of results under Postecoglou, winning seven of his first 12 games.
If results were taken from when Dyche took over, Forest would be mid-table, six points above third-from-bottom Tottenham.
He was even nominated for Premier League manager of the month a week ago, with two wins and one loss from their past six matches.
Speaking on Match of the Day, just an hour before Dyche’s dismissal, ex-England striker Alan Shearer backed the former Burnley boss.
He reported: “I think with his know-how and his experience in the Premier League, I would without a doubt stick with Sean.”
Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy, added: “I think for this battle at the bottom you wouldn’t want a better manager than him.
“He’s been there, done it, he stays calm. I think they’d be crazy to get rid of him.
“The other thing as well I suppose for Marinakis is if it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t be in the Premier League and they wouldn’t be in Europe.
“So maybe he’s got the right to do what he wants, but I don’t think there’s a manager you could bring in who is as capable as [Dyche] in this fight.”
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‘An embarrassment for Forest’ – analysis
Nuno was sacked 23 days into the season.
His replacement Postecoglou lasted 39 days.
Dyche at least made it past the 100-day mark, but his reign ends after 114.
Nottingham Forest are now remarkably searching for a fourth manager of a season which has lurched from crisis to crisis.
Forest’s problems are of their own making after Nuno fell out with global sporting director Edu and owner Marinakis to make his position untenable.
Postecoglou was an ill-advised appointment, a clash of styles going from Nuno’s counter-attack to the Australian’s high-pressing, high-action game.
Dyche was supposed to be the safe pair of hands, reverting back to what the squad knew under Nuno, and his connection with the club – having come through the academy – initially made it a sweet homecoming.
Seven wins from his first 12 stabilised the club and season to a point, with Forest mid-table in the league if results since Dyche was appointed in October were only taken into account.
But just two wins in their past 10 league games – plus an FA Cup exit to Wrexham last month – saw a rapid loss of faith from both the board and the fans.
The season is now an embarrassment for Forest. It was not supposed to be like this, with European football returning to the City Ground for the first time since 1995-96.
But after two failed appointments and the decision to sack Nuno after a breakdown in relationships Forest are in tatters.
They finished seventh last season and spent £180m but relegation is a very real possibility in a season where the club, especially Postecoglou, had targeted winning the Europa League.
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