Nottingham Forest will face Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-finals with a place in the Istanbul showpiece up for grabs
16:26, 27 Apr 2026Updated 16:31, 27 Apr 2026
Former Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore(Image: PA)
Ex-striker Stan Collymore has pledged to give the flight to Turkey he has booked to a Nottingham Forest fan, if the Reds make the Europa League final.
Two of Collymore’s former clubs will battle it out in an all-English affair for a place in the European showpiece over the next fortnight. The first leg of the semi-final will take place at the City Ground on Thursday (8pm kick-off), before Forest travel to Villa Park for the return fixture a week later.
Whichever side comes out on top will then have a shot at glory when the final takes place in Istanbul on May 20. They will come up against either Freiburg or Braga, who play each other in the other semi-final.
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Collymore retains much affection for the Reds, but as a Villa fan he hopes Unai Emery’s team will triumph in the last four of the tournament. The 55-year-old said on X he booked a flight and hotel for the Europa final months ago, but would be willing to give his seat on the plane to a Forest supporter if it is Vitor Pereira’s men who progress.
The Reds great said: “I love Forest, and anyone who’s heard me talk about the club in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and beyond knows how I feel. If you beat us then there’ll be no louder cheer outside of Nottingham than mine.
“I booked a flight and hotel to Istanbul back in September and I hope to use it. If I don’t, a Tricky will have the flight ( they’ll only have to pay the change name fee) for free.
“Forest is like a best mate to me but Villa is my Mom, and Moms trump everything and everyone. I hope the match does both clubs justice and whoever makes the final, they put on a show and bring the trophy home.”
It has the makings of being a mouthwatering semi-final between Forest and Villa. Both teams have a rich European heritage and are determined to push for silverware.
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For the Reds, this has been a rollercoaster of a campaign. Their European adventure has had to be balanced throughout with a scrap for Premier League survival.
They were clear from the start of the season, however, that they were targeting the Europa League trophy. Head coach Pereira has made clear his priority is to retain the club’s top flight status but he would love for his group to write their names into Forest’s history books.
Speaking about the aim for the final games of the campaign, striker Igor Jesus said in a translated interview: “It’s a huge opportunity to crown the season. Avoiding relegation in the Premier League and winning the Europa League would be a dream.
“But we go step by step. We know we have the quality, but Aston Villa are also a very strong team.”
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