NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Vítor Pereira became struggling Nottingham Forest's fourth coach of a turbulent season when he was hired on an 18-month contract on Sunday.
Forest said in a statement that the 57-year-old Portuguese will be joined by two assistant coaches and two analysts.
The Midlands-based club is 17th in the Premier League and one place above the relegation zone, with 12 rounds of matches left. Forest is at home to defending champion Liverpool next Sunday.
Prior to that, Forest plays at Turkish club Fenerbahçe in the first leg of their Europa League playoff on Thursday.
Pereira replaces Sean Dyche, who was fired Wednesday after being in charge for just 114 days.
Forest finished seventh in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo last season. Nuno signed a three-year deal at the City Ground in June 2025, but was fired in September after a breakdown in his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was then hired, but lasted only 40 days in the job with Marinakis ending his tenure within minutes of a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea.
Pereira is in his second coaching job of the season. In November, he was fired by Wolverhampton Wanderers after a winless start to the Premier League season.
Before joining Wolves in 2024, Pereira had short coaching spells at Fenerbahçe and Brazilian sides Flamengo and Corinthians. He also previously worked under Marinakis at Olympiakos.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche signals during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
FILE - Wolverhampton Wanderers' head coach Vitor Pereira concentrates during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland, file)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s healthy and wants to play even as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to say the two-time MVP is too injured to take the floor.
Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game on Friday night against the Boston Celtics due to what the team has described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly during a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic before Friday’s game. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”
For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.
Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.
“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”
The Bucks still had a remote chance of earning a 10th straight playoff berth at the time of that Indiana game, but they were officially eliminated from contention last week. There’s also the possibility of Antetokounmpo getting hurt again if he returns to action — he has missed a career-high 41 games this season and had two extended absences due to calf strains.
“I understand the circumstances — yes, we’re not going to be in the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “For some people’s eyes, it’s not worth it for me to be out there. But for me, it’s something that goes against my nature.”
Antetokounmpo also wanted the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Alex, who made his NBA debut Sunday. There was a possibility of three Antetokounmpo brothers playing alongside each other in the same game, since Giannis’ older brother, Thanasis, also is on the Bucks.
“When my dad passed away, I pretty much raised (Alex),” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. You really think I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody who thinks that is an idiot.”
Antetokounmpo’s desire to play — and the Bucks’ wishes to rest him — drew the attention of the National Basketball Players Association last month.
“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”
This dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks comes at a time when his future in Milwaukee is uncertain. Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him.
Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.
Now they find themselves at odds over how to handle the rest of this season.
“I don’t know where the relationship goes from there,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to couples therapy.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Injured Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, center right, talks with an official, center left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
