Nottingham Forest: Ola Aina states painful reason for Europa League semi-final exit

Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has revealed why Nottingham Forest fell short of their UEFA Europa League final goal last season, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Reds had a 2025/2026 campaign that went through Ebbs and Flows. After qualifying for Europe for the first time in over two decades with Nuno Espirito Santo, the Portuguese manager fell out with club owner Evangelos Marinakis and was sacked.

Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche also had their spells at the City Ground before Vitor Pereira came in to salvage Forest's campaign, leading them to the Europa League semi-final, where they fell short to Aston Villa.

Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!

Why Nottingham Forest failed to win the Europa League – Ola Aina

Ola Aina also had a tough season. The former Chelsea defender suffered a hamstring tear while on International duty with the Super Eagles and had to be operated upon.

The injury kept him out of action for four months, and in turn, he missed Nigeria's AFCON 2025 campaign in Morocco.

He returned in January, helping Nottingham Forest secure top-flight safety under Pereira, but his season came to an end in the first leg of the semi-final against Aston Villa.

Forest secured a win in the home leg, but with Ola Aina, Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White all out with injuries, the two-time UEFA Champions League winners fell to a 4-0 defeat at Villa Park to Unai Emery's men, who eventually won the tournament, the Spaniard's fifth Europa League title in his managerial career.

Aina, looking back on the events that unfolded, opined that he would've gotten a Europa League winners medal if not for the injuries his team suffered leading up to the second leg.

“My knee did something, but I'll be back for pre-season,” the 29-year-old said on his YouTube Channel.

“Unfortunately, I couldn't play in the second leg of the semi-final, alongside Morgan [Gibbs-White].

“I think if we had a full team, Callum, Murillo, and the others available, I'll be standing here with my medal, I guarantee you.

“But it wasn't in the plan. God said we were not meant to be there, so, we go again next season,” the former Torino defender concluded.

Nottingham Forest have parted ways with Coach Vitor Pereira, appointing Oliver Glasner, who has just exited his role as Crystal Palace's head coach.