‘The changing room is going crazy’ – Forest on ‘verge of something special’

A little under 20 years ago, Forest became the first European Cup-winning club to drop into the third tier of a domestic league pyramid.

They spent three seasons in League One before returning to the Championship in 2008-09, but the Reds would finish inside the top 10 just three times in the next 10 seasons as they struggled to return to the promised land of the Premier League.

Managers such as Aitor Karanka, Martin O’Neill, Sabri Lamouchi and Chris Hughton all stepped through the revolving door at the City Ground after Evangelos Marinakis purchased the club in May 2017, Hughton losing his job after gaining only one point from their first seven matches in 2021-22 – their worst start to a campaign in 108 years.

Marinakis’ next appointment – Welshman Steve Cooper – proved transformative.

Cooper guided Forest from the foot of the second tier to their first top-six finish in 11 years, ending the club’s Premier league exile with victory over Huddersfield Town in the 2022 play-off final.

He then managed to keep Forest’s heads above water in 2022-23 on their top-flight return, but was relieved of his duties in December 2023 after a run of five defeats in six games, with Nuno announced as his successor the following day.

After clinching mathematical safety on the final day of last term, Forest have gone from strength to strength under the former Wolves and Tottenham boss.

“The belief the manager has given the players has been amazing,” said Paul Hart, who spent two years with Forest as a player before a spell as manager in the early 2000s. “They are probably everyone’s favourite second team.

“There are still a lot of fans who witnessed the two European Cup wins [in 1979 and 1980]. It has been a long time coming. The fans would absolutely love it.”