It felt like heaven — Ola Aina gives positive and negative reaction to Fenerbahce stadium

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina had mixed reactions to the reception at Fenerbahçe's Şükrü Saracoğlu stadium, hailing it as the loudest he had ever witnessed and also mocking them for losing despite their antics. 

Aina was on the right side of a dominant 3-0 victory in the Europa League playoffs clash between Nottingham Forest and Fenerbahce, with goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus, and Morgan Gibbs-White sealing the victory.

Aina spoke to a Fanatik reporter while leaving the stadium, and he was asked about the atmosphere during the game, especially as Fenerbahçe fans brought the heat to match the occasion.

“It's a fantastic stadium, and they have fantastic support,” he said. “It's the loudest stadium I've ever seen in my career. They have an amazing fan base. And it was a good game.”

However, in a video he uploaded on social media, Aina poked fun at Fenerbahçe's “Welcome to hell” banner, joking that the stadium felt like heaven. "Came to Istanbul, they told us, 'Welcome to hell.' I said, 'Feck...' It was feeling like heaven, though."

Meanwhile, the 3-0 victory marked a positive start to Vitor Pereira’s time as Nottingham Forest coach. As Pulse Sports reported, Forest officially announced the appointment of the Portuguese manager as their new head coach on an 18-month contract until the summer of 2027.

The 57-year-old has taken charge at the City Ground during a turbulent 2025/26 campaign, becoming Forest’s fourth managerial appointment of the season.