Evangelos Marinakis loves a showstopper but this one may be his greatest in nearly a decade at Nottingham Forest.As if hiring his fifth boss in less than 12 months was not enough, Marinakis has decided to pick Oliver Glasner. The Austrian is believed to have signed a three-year deal that makes him one of the highest-paid bosses in the Premier League. Daily Mail Sport understands the salary is not too far from that of Unai Emery, who is believed to earn between £12million and £15m a season.Glasner has recently left Crystal Palace after an astonishing spell at Selhurst Park in which he delivered the first three trophies in the club’s 120-year history. There was one team in the world that Palace did not want Glasner to join, but now he has done just that.Forest and Palace have disliked one another intensely since last summer. Because American businessman John Textor had a stake in both Palace and Lyon, UEFA ruled that both clubs could not compete in the Europa League.Palace were demoted to the Conference League and the ones to benefit were Forest, who moved into the Europa League. Even though Palace went on to win the Conference League, they remain furious with how last summer unfolded. Just imagine their fans’ anger now.When Glasner returns to Palace on October 10 – assuming he makes it that far, of course – the reception will be venomous. But Forest have had their eye on Glasner for nearly three years and here Daily Mail Sport looks at how they got their man. Oliver Glasner won the first three trophies in Crystal Palace’s 120-year history – but Nottingham Forest were the last team that they wanted him to leave them for Evangelos Marinakis loves a showstopping move but this one may be his greatest in nearly a decade as Forest ownerThe Syrianos influenceKey to the whole operation is George Syrianos, a long-time Marinakis adviser who now has the title of global technical director at Forest. When Steve Cooper was heading for the exit door in December 2023, Marinakis had reduced his shortlist to two managers: Glasner and Nuno Espirito Santo. Super-agent Jorge Mendes won the day back then so Nuno moved in and Glasner went to Palace.But Syrianos and Glasner go back some way. Syrianos has long been a student of German football and has followed Glasner since he joined Wolfsburg in 2019.The pair have remained in contact, even discussing potential transfer deals between Palace and Forest in the past. And even as relations between the clubs deteriorated dramatically over the UEFA affair, Forest never gave up hope of hiring Glasner.Though there is unlikely to be the heavy recruitment drive that characterised the final days of the summer 2025 transfer window, Glasner will be backed in the transfer market.As well as finding a replacement for Elliot Anderson, who has been sold to Manchester City for an English record £116million, Glasner believes the squad is short at right back and through the middle. The head coach plays only a limited role in recruitment at Forest yet Glasner knows where they need surgery.Forest are hopeful the 3-4-2-1 system that gave him such success at Palace will continue to bring the best from Morgan Gibbs-White, whom they intend to build this team around.Don’t be surprised if Jean-Philippe Mateta, whom Forest tried to buy in January, is again among the contenders for the No 9 role – though good luck persuading Palace to let them have him.As Daily Mail Sport revealed last month, midfielders Curtis Jones, Lucas Bergvall and Jack Hinshelwood are also admired along with Ivory Coast star Christ Inao Oulai. It promises to be a busy few weeks – but when is life ever quiet at Forest? Key to the whole operation is George Syrianos, a long-time Marinakis adviser who now has the title of global technical director and goes back a long way with Glasner Do not be surprised if Forest go back in for Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta (centre), whom they wanted to sign in January Ivory Coast midfielder Christ Inao Oulai is admired by Forest, who need to fill an Elliot Anderson-shaped hole in their teamWhat will Glasner do?Glasner likes to drill his 3-4-2-1 system in training, then drill it again and drill it some more. Even though he will bring his lieutenants Michael Angerschmid, Ronald Brunmayr and former Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz, Glasner leads virtually every session. There will be detailed work on defensive structure, and players will be left in no doubt as to what is expected from them.Perhaps that does not leave much room for individual expression – though Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze flourished under Glasner, and Bayern Munich star Olise is a far better player than anyone in the Forest squad. At their best, Palace were a thrilling side on the attack.Yet this is tricky squad to manage – just ask Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche. Dyche’s old-school approach, banning the players’ barber and their saunas on Fridays, did not help his cause.Glasner is more attuned to modern ways yet unlike his predecessor Vitor Pereira, he will not compromise. He believes in his system and it is the players’ job to adapt to it. Glasner will be informed by data and statistics, but he is not led by them.How about recruitment? At Palace, Glasner was keen for more involvement in transfers and became frustrated at times. This could easily repeat itself at Forest and this is a big moment for Syrianos. He has usually managed to stay out of the firing line when Marinakis is making changes, which is quite a skill, but Syrianos needs this appointment to work just as much as Glasner does.Glasner must also unite the fanbase. In recent times, nobody has achieved this like Steve Cooper, who brought together a club on its knees, led them to promotion in 2022 and kept them in the Premier League.His successor Nuno was able to build on that relationship but since Nuno left, no coach has quite achieved it. Pereira did so to a point yet after Postecoglou and Dyche, it was a low bar. Glasner would do well to follow Cooper’s blueprint.The City Ground can be an intimidating place for away sides – but when things are going badly, it is a tough crowd, too. Forest lost seven league games at home last term, and won only four. Glasner would not survive a record like that. Michael Olise (left) and Eberechi Eze (right) flourished under Glasner at Palace Steve Cooper united a club that was on its knees, brought them into the Premier League and kept them there – Glasner would do well to follow his exampleWhy did Forest go cool on Pereira?It was during the early weeks of June that Pereira started to wonder whether he would be the man to lead Forest into next season.Pereira did an outstanding job in keeping the club afloat in a chaotic season, in which he was the fourth permanent manager. He also led them into the Europa League semi-finals and had hopes of an improved contract.The 57-year-old was exhausted after his three-month rescue stint and headed to his home town Espinho, on Portugal’s Atlantic Coast, for some well-earned rest. At that stage, Pereira fully expected to be Forest’s new coach next season – and so did most at the club. Yet the wheels were already turning.Everyone at Forest was hugely impressed by Pereira’s work but question marks remained. They looked at his time at Wolves and wondered if history would repeat itself. After doing brilliantly to haul Wolves clear of danger in 2024-25, things fell apart last summer. Recruitment was appalling and by November, Pereira was gone after failing to win a single match, leaving Wolves with one foot in the Championship.Pereira was deemed the perfect man to build bridges with a squad alienated by Dyche. The long-term answer, though? Probably not. Even though Forest had several injuries, the 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final did not go down well.In his statement, Pereira was careful to express ‘no bitterness or resentment’. He has worked for Marinakis before, at Olympiacos, and may well work for him again. But in the here and now, Forest felt he was no longer the right man.What does Marinakis want?Too many people still do not get it with Marinakis. They look at Forest’s long stint outside the top flight and think they should be happy simply to finish 17th every season. They marvel at the club’s sometimes chaotic transfer policy and wonder whether there is a strategy at all.There is a plan, all right – to reach the top. As unrealistic as that might seem, this is Marinakis’ ambition. He wants Forest to recapture their glory days under Brian Clough, when they won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980. Olise was always a genius but he went to another level under the guidance of Glasner Marinakis and Forest believe Glasner can do the same with the likes of Murillo, Igor Jesus and Neco WilliamsWhile that may be a stretch at this stage of their development, the Greek shipping magnate sees no reason why Forest should not compete in Europe every season, especially if the proposals to upgrade the City Ground proceed as envisaged.When Forest were promoted, Marinakis and his team looked closely at how Aston Villa had established themselves in the top flight after returning in 2019. By appointing Unai Emery in 2022, Villa proved that an elite coach can change an entire club. Though no coach working under Marinakis could be as powerful as Emery is at Villa, Marinakis hopes Glasner can still have a similar effect. Marinakis looks at Glasner and wonders what is not to like. He delivered European trophies at Eintracht Frankfurt and Palace, and at both clubs he improved players who could then be sold at substantial profit. Olise, Eze, Adam Wharton, Daniel Munoz, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi and Mateta are all good examples. Forest believe Glasner can take Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Murillo and Igor Jesus to another level.Yet Glasner is not one to sit and take orders. Beneath that cool exterior, a fire burns. There were quarrels with Palace chairman Steve Parish, especially last season when he said in January that the team had been ‘abandoned’ by the hierarchy.Marinakis doesn’t mind a row with a manager, as long as the team are winning. If he cannot do that, and quickly, Glasner knows he too will go the way of Nuno, Postecoglou, Dyche and Pereira.