Ex-Nottingham Forest gaffer Vitor Pereira has admitted that he'd forgotten about a contract clause used to sack him, and didn't know he'd been sacked until his own kids told him

Former Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has revealed the bizarre moment he discovered he had lost his job at the City Ground after being woken up in the middle of the night by his own children. The 58-year-old Portuguese tactician took charge of the Premier League outfit in February 2026, successfully steering the Reds away from relegation danger while guiding them to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Despite stabilising the East Midlands club and actively planning for the new campaign, Forest triggered a summer break clause in his contract at the end of June, paving the way for former Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner to take over.

Speaking to Portuguese outlet ZeroZero, Pereira admitted the dismissal caught him completely off guard, with his children breaking the news to him before he had even seen an official communication from the club.

"I knew there was a release clause in the contract, but I didn't even remember it, it never crossed my mind," Pereira explained. "I woke up in the middle of the night to the noise of my children in the living room, went downstairs, and they told me, 'Dad, you've been sacked.' That's what happened."

Pereira, who previously worked under Evangelos Marinakis during a title-winning spell at Olympiacos, absolved the Forest owner of direct blame for the abrupt nature of his exit. Instead, the former Wolves boss pointed the finger at figures behind the scenes who pushed for a change in direction in the dugout.

"I'm convinced it wasn't even the owner's decision," he continued. "Those around him created the idea that the best way to win and be more ambitious would be to go for a different profile. I respect the current coach, Glasner, for what he's done and won, especially the Europa League."

While Pereira holds no ill will towards his Austrian successor - who arrived at the City Ground fresh from lifting the Conference League trophy with Palace - he admitted the cold manner of his departure left a bitter taste after his coaching staff had worked tirelessly to keep Forest afloat in the top flight.

Instead of receiving a personal phone call from the club's hierarchy to thank him for his efforts and explain the change of course, Pereira's exit was processed via a late-night email just minutes before his contract break clause was due to expire.

Despite the bruising end to his tenure in Nottingham, Pereira remains keen on a return to English football in the future, insisting the intensity of the Premier League still brings out the very best in him as a manager.