- Arsenal have condemned UEFA for decision to hold Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan may be unable to play in Europa League final given the political tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- The match holds on Wednesday, May 29, with fans from the two teams sharing 12,000 tickets
Arsenal have condemned Europe’s football governing body, UEFA, over its decision to host the forthcoming Europa League final in Baku.
The Emirate dwellers issued a strongly worded statement ahead of the cracker against London rivals Chelsea in the Azerbaijani capital, on Wednesday, May 29, with both teams sharing 12,000 tickets.
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In addition, Arsenal are not comfortable with the venue due to political tensions between the host nation and neighbours Armenia, which may affect Henrikh Mkhitaryan entry to the country, as was experienced when Arsenal beat Qarabag during the group stages of the competition
“Everyone at Arsenal is delighted to have reached the UEFA Europa League final and we are all very much looking forward to the match against Chelsea on Wednesday, May 29,” the statement on Arsenal’s official website opens up.
“However, we are bitterly disappointed by the fact that due to transport limitations UEFA can only make a maximum of 6,000 tickets available to Arsenal for a stadium with a capacity of well over 60,000. Time will tell if it is even possible for 6,000 Arsenal fans to attend the match, given how extreme the travel challenges are.
“We have 45,000 season-ticket holders and for so many fans to miss out due to UEFA selecting a final venue with such limited transport provision is quite simply not right. The reality is that whoever reached the final would not be able to meet demand from their supporters.
“We have received many complaints from our fans about this and we fully share their concerns.
“On behalf of our fans, we would like to understand the criteria by which venues are selected for finals, and also how supporter requirements are taken into account as part of this," Arsenal demanded.
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“Moving forward we would urge UEFA to ensure that supporter logistics and requirements are a key part of any future decisions for final venues as what has happened this season is unacceptable, and cannot be repeated. We would be happy to join any future discussions to avoid this situation happening again,” the release summed up.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Ruben Loftus-Cheek has suffered a major injury ahead of Chelsea’s Europa League final against Arsenal after cropping a ruptured Achilles during a friendly win over New England Revolution in the US.
Chelsea battled the MLS campaigners in a post-season clash in Boston, winning 3-0, with Maurizio Sarri publicly expressing his worries about game before Gunners’ clash in Baku.
And now Loftus-Cheek failed to complete the contest after limping off with a suspected injury and will now miss the Europa League final and the start of 2019-20 campaign.
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