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Aina relishes Chelsea clash

By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 11, 2024

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina says he is looking forward to their match against Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday (today), Saturday PUNCH reports.

Aina signed for the Blues at the under-11 level and left the club permanently in 2019 after loan moves to Hull City and Torino.

The 27-year-old Nigerian defender will be looking to help the Reds do the double over Chelsea after their 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in September.

“I like playing against Chelsea, and I still support them after being there for so many years,” Aina told BBC East Midlands.

“I don’t know if this is going to get me in trouble, but I am a Chelsea fan.

“Everyone has their opinions about how things are going for them, but this is a new era, and it’s not always easy to maintain that level of success.

“It’s a fixture I’ve been looking forward to, and I’m excited to be involved in it to see what happens.”

On the Blues’ recent form, Aina added, “It’s football, really. Sometimes you’re high, and sometimes you’re low. It’s just about trying to find balance and stay consistent. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.

“I don’t think there’s any point to prove. I don’t hold grudges or anything; whatever happened in the past happened. There’s no animosity there. It’s just the career of a footballer.

“I only have fond memories of being at Chelsea. It’s a chapter that closed, and I’ve moved on, just as anyone else would.”

The former Torino star, who was part of Nigeria’s squad for the last Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, where they were beaten in the final by Ivory Coast, rued some irrational refereeing decisions against the Super Eagles.

“It felt like we were fighting against destiny,” Aina said.

“You could feel the weight of Ivory Coast against us. There were some decisions that could have gone our way, but I’m not that kind of player; ultimately, they did enough to beat us and fair play to them. We’ve been building this team since the 2019 AFCON, when we came in third with a really young team. Getting to the final was a progression that showed we were nearly there.”

On his time at Nottingham Forest, he said, “I am really enjoying my time here at Forest. I love it. It’s been great, and they have welcomed me in with open arms. The club is fantastic, and it’s a great experience playing at City Ground. The atmosphere is amazing, and it feels good to be here. I just want to finish the season, and I’m sure stuff will sort itself out. Right now, the focus is just being in the Premier League next season.”

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 11, 2024