Sabri Lamouchi has the "talent" and "experience" to lead Nottingham Forest to success.
Christian Karembeu says winning promotion from the Championship is a challenge that should not be underestimated.
But, while the former World Cup winning midfielder understands the Reds will not find it easy this season, he believes they have made a good appointment in his fellow former France international.
Lamouchi has experience managing the Ivory Coast national team and Rennes in his home country - as well as playing at the highest level himself, with Auxerre, Monaco, Parma, Inter and Marseille, among others.
And Karembeu, who is sport director at Forest’s sister club Olympiacos, believes he is a solid appointment for the Reds.
“I think Sabri Lamouchi has experience in Europe and across the world. He has played for the French national team,” said Karembeu.
“He can bring that experience to Nottingham Forest, while still knowing that it is a big challenge for him in the Championship.
“It is not a small challenge and Sabri has the talent, I am sure, to bring Forest to the top and to be in the Premier League next season.
“I was happy to see that he was appointed.”
Karembeu also believes Forest are taking a step in the right direction with their plans to rebuild and revamp much of the City Ground and to improve the facilities at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Karembeu was still at the peak of his playing career when he was persuaded to make an unlikely move to Middlesbrough in 2000, as his time at Real Madrid came to an end.
He says the facilities in the north-east were a major factor in his decision to come to England.
And he believes they can be a major asset for Forest, moving forward, as Evangelos Marinakis’ plans come to fruition.
“You are influenced, as a player, by the facilities around you,” he said. “I signed at Middlesbrough because of the facilities. I went to the training ground there and it was amazing. It is a tool to help you work.
“We need to think and not forget that the facilities are the starting point for any player.
“You can talk about money, you can talk about names and respect.
“But the thing that improves every player are the facilities they work in.
“This is a player’s daily life - we come here to work.
“Our family is here, when we come to work. That is why you need to respect the facilities, because this is where we do our business, every single day.”
Karembeu has been a personal advisor to Marinakis in the past. But he says he does not anticipate that his role will see him having an influence at Forest in the future.
“I am here for Olympiacos, I was his personal advisor, but now I focus on Olympiacos,” he said.
“It is a big challenge for us here as well. Because we have not won the title for two years in a row and we need now to fight to get back to winning the championship title and to continue to play Champions League football.
“We have challenges we want to take on at Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest.”
