From brink of relegation to Europe - the story of Forest's revival

BBC News

25-05-2025

From the brink of the Championship to the brink of the Champions League.Nottingham Forest may have fallen short of the top table of European football after their final-day defeat by Chelsea but they have continued their revival. That Forest were even in contention for the Champions League seemed a fantasy after beating the drop on the final day a year ago. In reality, the foundations for success were laid last summer. In Murcia, Spain, Nuno Espirito Santo's plans which would take the club back to Europe for the first time since 1996 were initiated. The chaos and confusion at the end of last season - from four-point deductions to controversial social media posts and final-day survival - were forgotten. A team meal at the Odiseo restaurant in Murcia, with the squad and staff, quickly generated the unity which has catapulted Forest to the Uefa Conference League. Elliot Anderson's initiation song of Stand By Me, after his move from Newcastle, could be the anthem of the season. Pre-season is always important but, internally, there was a sense the summer was crucial given it was Nuno's first with the squad.He had already built relationships in the previous six months since replacing Steve Cooper in December 2023, but it was the opportunity to double down on that unity which Nuno puts so much emphasis on. "It started the moment Nuno walked through the door," captain Ryan Yates told BBC Sport. "He gave us that consistency. "He came in at an extremely difficult point in the season where relegation and the point deduction looked like it could happen. It was tough for us as a group but we got through that and we said to ourselves in pre-season it can never happen again."Once home, they lost one of their opening 10 games and the training-ground revamp, unveiled in October, with more catering staff, different meals and a new open-plan canteen allowed a more player-focused environment. A new gym, physio and rehabilitation rooms were all added in a multi-million pound investment. "It's all fillet steak," jokes Yates. "The small things that really do make a difference. That obviously comes from the owner's investment and where he sees the football club going. "Not only have the players bought into that, but also the staff. If the staff are happy, that's going to ultimately help the players as well."The outpouring of support for Taiwo Awoniyi after his freak intestinal injury this month, which left the striker in an induced coma, also highlighted the squad's togetherness. The players hoisted his shirt while celebrating Morgan Gibbs-White's goal in the win at West Ham, with the forward receiving a rapturous welcome before the game on Sunday when he emerged pitchside."We just knew the significance of the result for Taiwo," adds Yates. "What he's been through, you wouldn't wish that on anybody."We're just so happy he's just alive and well."
A common bond and Nuno's comfort
Double European Cup-winning captain John McGovern is a regular visitor to the training ground.It was something former boss Cooper initiated but Nuno has, sensibly, left the door open for the 75-year-old to watch training and integrate with the squad.He has often been an unofficial ball boy during sessions, fetching stray shots, while he enjoys a good relationship with the players.It is part of the culture and the desire to ensure everyone feels involved at the City Ground.When he first moved to England with Wolves, Nuno was adamant he wanted to work with 22 players to let all of them feel they had a chance of playing, therefore raising the intensity and quality in training. That unity was quickly evident during last season's fight against relegation, with Nuno replacing Cooper as the club sat 17th in the Premier League. Sources have told BBC Sport players were almost surprised at how the spirit was compared with other teams they had played for, especially those who had experienced a relegation battle. It has only become stronger while Nuno's ability to remain level-headed is also crucial. He will not pick or turn on individual players after a poor performance, and he placed faith in his players, allowing them to grow in confidence. Goalkeeper Matz Sels arrived with little fanfare from Strasbourg in February 2024 to become the team's third goalkeeper last season, but was immediately given the No.1 spot and Nuno's backing. The 33-year-old has since excelled this season and has shared the Premier League's Golden Glove with Arsenal's David Raya after 13 clean sheets.Ola Aina is one of the biggest characters of the dressing room, with Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi also driving the squad off the pitch. There is also a common bond with the players, in that many of them have experienced setbacks in their careers and arrived at Forest with similar journeys. Behind it, as Yates alludes, is Nuno. He can be a stoic figure in media conferences but there is a marked improvement from his demeanor at Wolves. He could be surly with the media at Molineux, but at the City Ground is more relaxed and, even if he avoids a question, it is done with much more grace and understanding of what the journalist was asking. There has been more depth to Nuno this season, publicly at least, and he has been known to play his handpan - a steel drum - in his office at the training ground, and demonstrated his diving abilities during a mid-season trip to Dubai in February. One source described Nuno as "comfortable" at the club, and while there has been speculation about his future, there is a desire for Nuno to build a dynasty - regardless of any on-pitch discussions with the owner. "Look at what he's achieved in his short period at the club," says Yates. "If anything, it should be exciting to see what we can build further."
Transfer plans years in the making
Nuno was given the faith to build, but there was no talk of Europe before this season. The plan was to take a step forward and avoid a relegation battle, because you cannot become an established or growing Premier League side while fighting the drop. Pushing into the top half was in mind, not becoming a European contender. Forest knew they had good players, and sources have dismissed suggestions this season has been a surprise, labelling it as - understandably - pleasing instead. The clear and precise summer transfer plan was in contrast to when they returned to the Premier League in 2022 - after a 23-year absence - and signed 23 players. This season against Crystal Palace - a 1-0 win in October - only one of those players started the game - Dean Henderson, who was in goal for Palace. It may have appeared outrageous, but it worked and gave Forest the platform for the success of this season. Of those players, Gibbs-White and Neco Williams have played key roles this season while Danilo could have, had he not suffered a broken ankle on the opening day.Willy Boly, Harry Toffolo, Awoniyi and Wayne Hennessey also remain at the club though are on the periphery, with Boly, Toffolo and Hennessy's deals expiring next month. Last summer Forest were surgical in their approach. They were clear with what they wanted, with a plan to lower the age bracket but also build on the character already at the club. Defender Nikola Milenkovic joined for £10m from Fiorentina - there was no release clause and it has proved a bargain in the current market - and he has formed a crucial partnership with Murillo at the back. The centre-back had been tracked for a number of years and Forest made their move with the Serbia international impressing at Euro 2024. Anderson joined from Newcastle with goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos going the other way in a separate deal, which will have helped with keeping the club compliant with profit and sustainability rules (PSR). This year it will be the same - Liam Delap and James McAtee are of interest but there is an expectation Ipswich striker Delap will join Manchester United. The Champions League would have added extra revenue and therefore more financial wriggle room, but Forest's transfer plans do not hinge on joining the elite. Nuno was clear in the profile of player he wanted, and had total belief in his methods. It brought a mutual trust between the Portuguese and the hierarchy, allowing him to deliver the club's best season in 30 years. The club have not played in Europe since a Uefa Cup quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich in March 1996, and will return in September for the Conference League.It has been unexpected, but after years in the wilderness Forest, two-time European Cup winners, have returned to a stage they used to call home. "It took us a couple of years to find that stability, and when this club gets momentum it's unstoppable," smiles Yates.