Fawaz Al-Hasawi wants Manchester City-like success with Nottingham Forest

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 05 May 2014

Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi says that his long-term goal with the club is to achieve similar success to that of Manchester City.

Fawaz Al-Hasawi has said that his long-term goal with Nottingham Forest is to achieve similar success to that of Manchester City.

Like Forest, City are backed by Middle Eastern money and have consistently challenged for the Premier League title in recent years.

Kuwaiti businessman Al-Hasawi bought Forest two years ago and has become well liked by Forest's fans because of his passion for the club, but he is yet to have real success.

Forest agonisingly missed out on the playoffs on the final day in his first season and then tailed away dramatically this year, eventually finishing 11th after a rocky run that saw manager Billy Davies dismissed.

Stuart Pearce will take over this summer and Al-Hasawi is expecting the former Forest man to lead them into the Premier League, where he believes success is possible eventually.

"Manchester City have a government behind them and when you have a government behind you it is different to one man," he told the Guardian. "It will happen with one man but it will take longer."

Forest were last in the Premier League 15 years ago.