Vitor Pereira has conceded it is a “pity” Nottingham Forest feel compelled to prioritise the Premier League over the Europa League, with the head coach saying the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, has stressed that domestic survival is king.
The fiercely ambitious Marinakis targeted European silverware after the club returned to continental competition for the first time since 1995-96, but though Forest are attempting to overturn a first-leg deficit in the last-16 against Midtjylland, there is an acceptance that relegation to the Championship would be a disaster.
Forest, beaten 1-0 at home by Midtjylland last week, must win in Denmark on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals, but Pereira is expected to make several changes to his team with Sunday’s trip to Tottenham in mind. Forest are outside the Premier League relegation zone only on goal difference with eight games to play.
“For me, it is a pity that I need to make decisions, to think not just about this game but the next two games,” Pereira said. “I need to think about it because it is important for the club. Of course, the Europa League is important for the club but the [Premier] League is very important for the club.
“The next [domestic] game is against Tottenham and Tottenham are competing with us for the same target, to be safe in the Premier League. I must try to compete in both competitions, [but] I cannot forget the next game in the Premier League, I cannot forget it because it’s an important game for us.
“I believe to play on our level and to compete in a way I want to compete we need to be fresh mentally and physically. If we were in a safe position in the Premier League table, it [would be] completely different.”
Pereira said he has discussed the reality of the situation with Marinakis, who spent about £200m on players last summer and was adamant the investment would put the club in the conversation to win the Europa League. “He wants to keep the club in the Premier League, first of all, and try to compete in the Europa League, of course,” the Forest head coach said.
“This is what he said to me: it is important to keep the club in the Premier League and to try to compete in the Europa League. We will try our best to qualify.”
A full-strength Forest squad, barring long-term absentees such as Chris Wood, travelled to Jutland, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo, but some key players will be rested. Wood trained with the group on Wednesday with a view to returning to action next month after being sidelined since October.
Pereira said: “We are in a moment where we need to be united. I cannot have [a group of] players for a game and [another group of] players for another game. I cannot separate the players.”
