Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira inspired by club legend ahead of Europa League semi-final

Arsenal may be England’s sole representative remaining in this season’s Champions League, but one thing is for sure, there will be an English team in the Europa League final.

Tonight sees Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa do battle on the banks of the River Trent in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. 

It’s a clash of two historic clubs, with European pedigree. Both have won the European Cup, achievements which are still talked about to this very day, and while Villa are battling near the Premier League’s summit, Forest are fighting for survival.

To those of a Forest persuasion, this high-stakes and highly charged tie could be a hindrance to their domestic duties, but with the last relegation place likely to be filled by either Tottenham or West Ham, then there is no reason why this squad of players should not be wanting to become Forest legends.

Forest manager Pereira inspired by club legend Clough

When someone mentions Forest, Brian Clough is the first name that comes to mind.

The man is a god in the East Midlands city. Clough has a statue in the city centre, a City Ground stand named after him and he has the final words on Forest’s pre-match hype video.

As someone who lived and studied in Nottingham for three years, it’s no secret that Clough’s back-to-back European triumphs with the Reds is arguably a bigger legend than Robin Hood.

No surprises then that Forest manager Vitor Pereira was asked about how Clough’s legacy is inspiring him and his players ahead of kick-off during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.

“If we want to put our names in the history of this club we need to get to the final and win it.

“Of course, he is an inspiration for us. Tomorrow is a big chance for our supporters and for us to reach a final. We will do everything we can to move forward."

Akin to his tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pereira has made the effort to embrace the culture surrounding Forest and made a trip to the Clough’s statue.

“He's a strong character, not just a top player and manager,” Pereira said of Clough.

“This week I went into the city and saw a big statue of him. I'm not thinking about a statue, but we can imagine what he did for this city, because it stays in the city and the hearts of the people until now."

When did Clough win the European Cup with Forest?

Clough arrived at Nottingham Forest in 1975 following a much documented 44 days of hell managing Leeds United.

His 18-year reign at Forest is one full of ups and downs, but his back-to-back European Cup wins with the Reds is one which placed him as one of England’s great managers.

His first European Cup triumph came in 1979 when a Trevor Francis goal saw Forest beat Sweden’s Malmo 1-0, and then the following season it was another 1-0 win in the European Cup final. This time it was against Hamburg, with John Robertson the goalscorer.

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