Nottingham Forest

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Nottingham Forest players' heads will be "spinning" with another managerial change, but new boss Vitor Pereira "understands what the requirements are" with owner Evangelos Marinakis, says former defender Matt Upson.

Ex-Wolves head coach Pereira joined Forest earlier this week on an 18-month deal following the sacking of Sean Dyche but has experience of working under Marinakis having been in charge of his Olympiakos side in 2015.

"Pereira has had previous with the owner at Olympiakos and he kind of feels that he trusts in his work," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"I think history has shown Marinakis is probably not an easy owner to work for. So he's had that experience, he understands what the requirements are, he understands what he wants, he knows it.

"It might not be a long-term thing but at the moment Pereira is right. I believe he's right in the sense he's coming into a club that has good players. They've spent some money on players that are pretty handy.

"The mixed opinion is a major problem and having four managers in that short period of time, being pulled this way or the other, I think the players heads are spinning and don't quite know where to go. So Pereira's got his work cut out. I know he's experienced at this kind of thing, but I think it's a tough job for him."

With Forest now on their fourth manager of the season as they look to avoid relegation, former Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend believes Marinakis is not an owner you can "handle".

He added: "Pereira's got the experience of Maranakis. He knows what he likes, what he doesn't like, he knows what makes him tick, so it gives him the head start. But I think for Nottingham Forest now, Maranakis, that's sort of the point of no return.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this manager comes in and he doesn't make a good start. I wouldn't be surprised if they got another manager in just to get them over the line.

"Can they get a manager to get them that bounce like Sean Dyche did at the start? Big Ange [Postecoglou] didn't do that, but can Vitor Pereira now give them a few wins just to give them some breathing space going into the remaining games?"

How big an impact does the instability in managers have on the team and club? Would a fifth head coach of the season be unthinkable if things don't go well for the new boss?

Get in touch with your views here

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Nottingham Forest's 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo has emerged as a key target for Chelsea but the Reds' asking price is around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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A smiling Vitor Pereira arrived at the City Ground with his eyes open.

The new Nottingham Forest boss - the club's fourth of the season - was honest and reflective in his first news conference.

He was relaxed and ready but it was not lost on him - nor should it be - that job security at the City Ground is at a premium.

It is just 161 days since Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked, and Forest have gone through Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche before arriving at Pereira.

Quizzed on the longevity of managers the ex-Wolves head coach was pragmatic and understood the nature of his task: keep Forest up and owner Evangelos Marinakis happy.

He is back in work three and a half months after leaving Wolves to reunite with Marinakis, having worked with the Greek owner at Olympiacos in 2015.

It means there should be no secrets and surprises between the pair, and being able to understand the emotional Forest owner will be crucial.

Thursday's Europa League trip to Fenerbahce will be a different scene to what Pereira has been doing in the past few months, using his break to cycle, walk and eat in Portugal. He confessed he may need to lose a few kilos.

He has 12 games to ensure Nottingham Forest remain in the Premier League - an unthinkable situation when they were going for the Champions League on the final day of last season.

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been giving his first news conference since being appointed as Sean Dyche's successor.

Here are the key lines:

• Pereira said he accepted the job "because I believe in the quality of the players, the potential of this club, the ambition of the president".

• He said he has a "good relationship" with Evangelos Marinakis: "He trusts my work, I trust his personality."

• In his time at Wolves, Pereira learned that a "small detail" is crucial in the Premier League. He added: "We cannot make mistakes."

• He said that at Wolves - which felt like "family" - he learned that in order to compete in the Premier League, "you must have everything", adding: "It does not give you time to delay decisions. If you do, you will pay."

• When asked about his first message to the players, Pereira said: "If you don't buy the idea of the manager, it's a big problem. If you buy the idea and the person, it's an open mind to receive information and to work hard together."

• On the impact his mid-season arrival can have: "I cannot change a lot in this moment of the season. It's about making the players comfortable playing in the roles I'm demanding. It's important the players feel they can help the team with their qualities. It's important they express themselves."

• On his tradition of going to the pub with fans after Wolves wins: "I'm not an actor. I'm a simple guy, an honest guy, confident... and when I feel I deserve the pints - of course!"

Got a question about Forest? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

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New Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira says he wants his team to be defined by "freedom" and "happiness".

The Portuguese became the Reds' fourth manager of the season when he signed an 18-month deal and he took training for the first time on Monday.

To achieve Premier League survival - Forest are three points clear of the relegation places - and progress from the Europa League play-offs, Pereira intends to promote a relaxed atmosphere.

"This is the identity I want to create – the freedom to express themselves, to be happy and enjoy," the 57-year-old told BBC Radio Nottingham. "For me, this is the way."

"You must believe in the idea, the game you are proposing and to accept the person - because we are human beings and mistakes can happen. It is important to recognise the values and important to accept and believe in the leader."

Pereira's first job will be to lead Forest through the first of a two-legged Europa League play-off against Fenerbahce - whom Pereira formerly managed - that will decide if they qualify for the last 16.

Three days after the game in Turkey, Forest host Liverpool in the league, before Fenerbahce come to the City Ground for the return leg.

Pereira recognises the challenges facing his team as another manager arrives to lead them in fights on two fronts.

"It is difficult [for the players] to change every time because each manager has their leadership and idea of football, but it is important to believe in the work we are doing," said Pereira, who was sacked by Wolves in November with the West Midlands side on just two points.

"I cannot change a lot because that is impossible playing every three days. It means they need to be intelligent to understand and I believe we can create something strong together.

"We start today to explain the ideas. It is important to make players comfortable in the roles and win their confidence - to give them the confidence to play and to be themselves.

"We cannot come to training and not enjoy it. We must enjoy it and being here, to create the spirit of a family, to help each other, to create the environment to feel happy and proud of our work.

"This is the idea - not to think about what can happen because the future we do not know. We just can work in the present.

"They proved today to me that they want to play good football, they want to win, they have quality. I really believe that together we can get the points - and the quality the team showed in the past, they can show in the future."

Listen to Pereira's interview with BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray below or on BBC Sounds here

Come back to this page later on Tuesday for all the key lines from Pereira's first news conference as Forest head coach.

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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When you've had as many managers as Nottingham Forest have had this century, it's often hard to renew your enthusiasm.

Sabri Lamouchi's appointment in June 2019 was met with something of a shrug, a little-known name on the back of a disappointing season.

However, arguably he was the one who set us on our current path - despite the collapse to Stoke City on the final day of the season, a sense of hope and belief was restored by a head coach who connected with the fans and oversaw the Reds' best finish in a decade.

He didn't last, of course, and Vitor Pereira arrives at a time when hope and belief are things we've only experienced intermittently this campaign. Ignoring his winless start to the season with Wolves - and we have to, for enthusiasm's sake - then his rescue job last term is what we're really interested in.

Can he galvanise the players and unite the fans behind him? Will there be an opportunity for fringe players to really prove themselves? And will his experience in Europe, notably as manager of Thursday's opponents Fenerbahce, offer a future in the Europa League?

As at Wolves, and like Nuno Espirito Santo before him, Pereira's ability to converse in English, Portuguese and Spanish will benefit the multinational squad.

While he favoured a 3-4-2-1 formation at Wolves, I would imagine he's more likely to stick with Forest's established 4-2-3-1 set-up. And his emphasis on a compact defence, mid block, use of wide areas and counter-attacking will suit a side readymade for his tactics.

More importantly, regaining the players' confidence, as well togetherness and determination, is the key to salvaging our current predicament. That and unlocking our ability to actually score goals.

Since finishing seventh last season, there's been bad decision after bad decision by the club's hierarchy. We have to hope Pereira's arrival is finally a good one.

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Nottingham Forest defender Murillo is set to leave the club this summer with Chelsea showing firm interest and Liverpool also considering making a move for the 23-year-old Brazilian. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester City have been told they will have to pay £60-70m to prise England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, away from Nottingham Forest in the summer. (Football Insider), external

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We asked for your views on Vitor Pereira becoming Nottingham Forest's fourth manager of the season and the likelihood of Forest avoiding relegation.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Sad to see SD go. Should have been given until end of the season. Players let him down against Wolves on Wednesday. They need to take a long, hard look at themselves. I think he would have kept them up.

That said, I think VP could be a shrewd choice. Another Portuguese will suit the Brazilians and it's interesting he's managed Fenerbahce, who Forest play in the Europa League play-offs. Think he'll keep them up too, but not sure he'll be given a contract extension. Rumours suggest Marinakis would like Marco Silva when his Fulham contract expires this summer.

Ken: Yes it will work. We've swapped a Morris Minor for a Bentley. He will sort us out to stay up, then further embed his philosophy in the summer. First thing is to implement his middle press and teach the players his triggers and when to use them. Gone will be the running them till they drop like Dyche did. I think he will be a big success and the fans will come to love him. This bloke has a career win rate of 52% and has successfully managed some big clubs. He's also worked with Marinakis before, winning him the Greek double. Give him a chance.

Sean: This will not work. No offence to the new boss, but having a fourth "permanent" manager will only create further instability in the team. I feel sorry for the players, especially our new signings, there's been no stability for them at all this season and they're expected to come in and be brilliant. Pereira will have a tough job, but he has to get us scoring goals and not conceding and he needs a confident team to do it. I am hopefully wrong, but I can't see that happening.

Neil: We need to forget what has happened so far this season and concentrate on PL survival, even at the expense of the Europa League. We need a manager who can galvanise our squad and get them fighting for results the way Leeds and West Ham have been doing. Hopefully he is the right guy to do this, because if we go down it will be catastrophic for the club.

Charles: Not a clue, up to the players. Clearly their power has been influential in the dismissal of Dyche.

Tony: This season is all on the owner! I don't fancy a bet on us staying up with the latest appointment!

Vitor Pereira has agreed to take over at Nottingham Forest on a deal until the end of next season.

The former Wolves boss succeeds the sacked Sean Dyche and becomes the Reds' fourth manager of the campaign, after the earlier dismissals of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

So, we have two questions for you:

• Will this appointment work?

• What's the first thing Pereira needs to do?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor speaking about Vitor Pereira on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast: "First thing, he was a great guy. He was not quite how we were led to believe he would be. When he was appointed the word was he was this fiery temperament. It was entertaining but not at all like that. He was always smiling, with a quip and one-liners. Very quickly he engaged with the players - getting results - and then engaged with supporters."

Asked if Pereira can get a quick reaction, Taylor said: "He did do that at Wolves. They were struggling badly in December of last season. A lot of supporters thought their number was up. He came in, the first game at Leicester, Wolves had to stand up and win that game which they did. Later they had a run of six wins in a row. In the sense he galvanised the team, pulled them together and a state of basic organisation. His managerial record, he's been everywhere, often not for very long. So this is the Pereira method, has been go in, do a job and move on. He had nine clubs in 10 years in seven countries before Wolves. Short-term is his thing. For the short-term he did a job.

"He is a bit of a football romantic. I would see it being a good appointment for someone like Gibbs-White, who is clearly the point of difference that would put Forest ahead of others at the bottom of the table."

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BBC Radio Nottingham Forest commentator Colin Fray speaking about Sean Dyche's dismissal on the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football: "I think to judge it on stats is very difficult, this decision.

"It's not just based on stats. There's a lot more to it, there's a feeling of a disconnect between supporters and Dyche and the team. We heard on the final whistle what supporters thought of Forest not being able to score against Wolves. It's a culmination really.

"If you base it on stats, it's hard to justify. It's one defeat in six in the Premier League.

"Stats-wise, it's a hard decision to justify.

"This should have been a joyful season for Forest fans. It's been anything but, an absolute slog. So Forest fans clearly getting more and more angry. Dyche refers to it as the noise changing in recent weeks.

"If you were a Premier League club in this position you would look to Sean Dyche. They have to find somebody a bit like that.

"Vitor Pereira is the name at the moment. Short-term, he kept Wolves in the Premier League. He has I think over time proved he is a manager who can get a quick reaction. That is absolutely vital. They have to get that at Forest if they are to stay in the Premier League.

"They desperately need to get this one right if they are to preserve their Premier League status."

Listen to the podcast

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Recently, Liverpool and the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said former players-turned-pundits have a responsibility when discussing the performances of the current generation of footballers.

He believes they can stray into "clickbait" and have a possible impact on players' mental health.

On Thursday's episode of the More than the Score podcast, former Scotland international Pat Nevin and chief sports editor for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf Marcel van der Kraan join John Bennett to discuss and analyse the modern world of punditry and the impact it can have on players and managers alike.

"As a player you do tend to take it to heart, especially when it feels a little personal," said Nevin.

"Generally, it isn't personal and the pundit is just having their opinion and we all kind of know where the lines are. But, the lines have been jumped over more often in recent years and I think Van Dijk is right about that.

"Because of the clickbait, it is so much easier to get more likes, views and work if you're a little bit more extreme. Ex-players aren't stupid and they know that. If you are too sensible and sit on the fence you won't get the big gigs.

"You have a dichotomy. Most ex-players would like to be balanced but they know if they are too balanced and sensible they won't be there next week.

"My criticism would always be constructive criticism which is explained. One-dimensional labeling of players should never happen. Sometimes if a big name says something enough it becomes accepted wisdom."

Van der Kraan added: "There are two different kinds of pundits; those who need to be on every week and those who are genuinely focused on what is right and what players should do.

"For Van Dijk, after so many years enough is enough.

"It all started after he came into the Netherlands team and became a big player at Liverpool. The first ex-player to really criticise him was Marco van Basten, saying he was not a leader. Van Dijk was biting his lip after every match because it became a bit of a stigma.

"Eventually it filtered to England and every time he had a bad game it became an open nerve."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Vitor Pereira's dream was to manage in the Premier League.

He has conceded he made too many wrong moves too soon as he tried to plot a path to the England, managing 13 clubs before realising his goal.

That eventually came with Wolves after he came close to joining Everton while having also held talks at different times with Chelsea, Arsenal, Watford and West Brom.

He lasted 11 months at Molineux, after being appointed in December 2024, and initially forged a strong bond with the fans, going drinking with them after victories with the phrase 'first the points, then the pints' coined.

It went sour quickly this season, he clashed with supporters after a 3-2 home defeat to Burnley in October, before eventually being sacked in November following a wretched 3-0 defeat at Fulham.

He could get a second chance with Nottingham Forest - and a deal is looking likely - but there are parallels which could be a concern.

Pereira was unhappy with Wolves' transfer business in the summer - much like Nuno Espirito Santo was at Forest - despite ultimately signing off on the buys.

He felt Wolves were too slow and did not get his first-choice targets, to the extent Pereira regrets not walking away from Molineux at the start of the season.

Yet Pereira at least knows what it is like to work under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, having managed Olympiacos - a club also owned by the Greek - and won the league with them in 2014-15.

So, if there is an agreement, there should be no surprises between the pair.

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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Nine years into the reign of Evangelos Marinakis, Nottingham Forest are in search of their 10th manager. The club, of course, are no strangers to sacking managers - they're not far off averaging one a year since Brian Clough's retirement in 1993.

Where does repeatedly replacing the man in the dugout get you? Well, it's still not entirely clear but we haven't experienced anything close to the achievements of Old Big 'Ead. Sacking Sean Dyche may or may not be the right decision but we'll only know in about three months' time.

Admittedly he hadn't exactly set the City Ground alight, especially last night as the Reds had 35 shots on the Wolves goal - 10 on target - and still couldn't score. If there was ever a game that epitomised Forest's season, this was it - endless opportunities to score with the occasional defensive lapse, all highlighting the glaring absence of Chris Wood.

The 34-year-old striker has only made eight appearances this season, scoring twice, but his clinical prowess was one of the highlights of the seventh-place finish last campaign. We could be in a very different situation if any of the three managers had the New Zealand international available, given our forward players' profligacy in front of goal.

As it is, we are in this situation. Three points above the relegation places, with former manager Nuno's West Ham United side breathing down our neck, and the teams above us pulling away. Not to mention a Europa League play-off against Fenerbahce coming up.

Dyche had a reputation for solid but effective football and, on occasion, we saw his side dig in and come away with three points. Sometimes it was very good football, often it was very bad. It seems a big call to roll the dice again but, given the way this season is going, it's all going to come down to chance and, frankly, that's pretty ridiculous.

Early reports suggest the new manager could be Vitor Pereira, who Marinakis knows from a stint at Olympiacos and was until recently Wolves head coach. With experience of both avoiding relegation and European competition, the Portuguese has credentials for the job. However, with a somewhat scattered CV, it would surely have to be an interim appointment and a complete rethink in the summer.

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Chris Adams
BBC Sport Journalist

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Nottingham Forest's goalless draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday was the seventh time in Sean Dyche's 18-match reign in which they failed to find the net.

Goals have been an issue for Forest all season, but the loss of last term's top scorer Chris Wood in October only exacerbated the problem for Dyche, who was never able to select the New Zealand target man.

With injury forcing his hand, Dyche opted for Igor Jesus to lead the line. The Brazilian – who had been used exclusively as a substitute for league fixtures while Wood was fit – started 17 of Dyche's games in charge, only dropping to the bench again for Wednesday's stalemate at the City Ground.

The 24-year-old, who cost a reported £10m from Botafogo in the summer, has struggled against Premier League defences, with just two goals in 25 appearances. That's in stark contrast to his cup and European form; he has six in six in the Europa League and notched three in two in the domestic cups, albeit against lower league opposition who Forest failed to beat.

Clearly Igor Jesus is not solely to blame for Forest's failings but his shot conversion rate under Dyche was the second worst in the top-flight and eventually he was replaced in the starting 11 for the Wolves game by 6ft 7in loan signing Lorenzo Lucca, who had scored off the bench on his debut against Leeds United.

Forest's 241 shots during Dyche's 114-day reign places them ninth in the league, but their overall conversion rate of 8.3% was the third worst in the division.

A further look at the numbers suggests that the quality of chances his side were creating was also poor. Their expected goals per shot rate of just 0.09 ranks them 19th in the league in that timeframe.

The fact that Wood is still Forest's joint-third top scorer in the league – level with Igor Jesus, Nicolo Savona and Ibrahim Sangare, one behind Callum Hudson-Odoi, and four behind midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White – despite having missed 18 games, is perhaps indicative of their attacking woes.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Just 12 months ago Nottingham Forest sat joint second in the Premier League with a six-point lead over the chasing pack.

Chris Wood's hat-trick helped demolish Brighton 7-0 and Nuno Espirito Santo's side looked on course for a shock Champions League place.

Yet they won just four of their final 14 top flight games to eventually finish seventh as the dream started to unravel.

Sean Dyche's exit is the latest drama in the City Ground soap opera which has left a season which promised so much in tatters.

The self-inflicted wounds have cut deep.

The deteriorating relationship with Nuno Espirito Santo which sparked his exit and Ange Postecoglou's appointment has forced Forest to search for a fourth manager of the season.

With Dyche it was supposed to be different, reverting back to more of what the players knew and what had made them successful last season.

Forest needed to rediscover their roots - and they did for a time as it looked as if Dyche had brought stability but it was a false sense of security.

Players and fans were not happy, despite the statistics saying Dyche would eventually lead them to safety, even if they still sit just three points above the Premier League relegation zone.

He was nominated for January's Manager of the Month last week but is now out of a job after 114 days, having been brought in to steady a chaotic ship.

Instead Dyche's sacking is the latest chapter in a chaotic and turbulent season which could still lurch into a disastrous relegation.

Image source, Getty Images

Should Nottingham Forest move forward and appoint Vitor Pereira - or anyone for that matter on a permanent basis, they will break a new Premier League record.

No club in Premier League history have ever completed a season with four different permanent managers in charge of the club.

Until now?

Forest 2025-26 managers:

• Nuno Espirito Santo (August 25 - Sept 25)

• Ange Postecoglou (Sept 25 - Oct 25)

• Sean Dyche (Oct 25 - Feb 26)

• TBC (Feb 26 - ?)

Image source, Getty Images

Whoever that successor may be, former Forest defender Michael Dawson thinks the role will bring them a lot of pressure.

"I just think the fourth Premier League manager going into Nottingham Forest in the season... It's just remarkable," Dawson told Sky Sports.

"They're under big pressure now to get this right with 12 games to go.

"It's a club that was sitting in 18th [before Dyche was appointed], with one win in eight and in his 18 games since he's been in charge in the Premier League, he's won six, drawn four and had eight losses.

"I don't know what Mr Marinakis [club owner] was expecting. They were sitting in 18th. They weren't going to end up in the top half of the Premier League."

John Cross, chief football writer for the Mirror, believes Dyche's style ultimately didn't work for the Reds.

"It really is nuts. We all thought Sean Dyche would be such a good fit," Cross told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"He was saying he still lives in Nottingham and he has a passion for the city but it just hasn't worked.

"It gave Forest a lift and yet it quickly went off the boil. I have been shocked with how they have performed recently and it told me that maybe the players just weren't listening to the manager and that has been reflected in the results.

"I think Dyche is a no-nonsense manager and sometimes it just doesn't work."

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The 40-point mark - or thereabouts - could be needed once again to guarantee Premier League survival this term, with an in-form West Ham United attempting to chase down the sides above them.

That mythical number has often been cited as the threshold at which managers, players and fans can relax - but the total has not actually been needed to stay up since 2010-11.

Prior to that the only other occasions clubs were demoted with 40 points or more were 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2002-03.

But could that be about to change?

West Ham, who are 18th in the top flight, are only three points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who sacked manager Sean Dyche after Wednesday's goalless draw with Wolves.

While Tottenham - who sacked boss Thomas Frank on Wednesday - are 16th, another two points ahead of Forest.

• Read a full breakdown on the 40-point target

West Ham's current points tally (24) is the most by any side in 18th at this stage of a campaign since 2019-20, when the Hammers recovered to stay up with 39 points.

Leeds also look to have found some momentum with recent wins over Fulham and Forest as well as draws at Everton and Chelsea.

In contrast, Spurs have managed a meagre four points from the previous 27 available to them.

Meanwhile, now managerless Forest have won just two of their past 10 games and fans of Brighton and Crystal Palace may also be looking over their shoulders.

The 14th-placed Seagulls (31 points) are on a dismal run having won just one top-flight game since 30 November.

Palace - who are a place and a point above Brighton - have only tasted victory once since 7 December and most recently let a two-goal lead slip as they lost to struggling Burnley.

That magic 40-point mark could well be needed once more to avoid dropping into the Championship.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nuno was sacked 23 days into the season.

His replacement Postecoglou lasted 39 days.

Sean 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.