Arsenal and Chelsea fans have every right to be angry with UEFA over the many issues surrounding next week’s Europa League final.
Hosting the game 3,000 miles away in Baku, Azerbaijan, is the biggest problem and it’s preventing thousands of fans from attending due to travel complications.
Not only are there no direct flights from London to Baku, but travel and accommodation costs in total would amount to well over £1000. A road trip, on the other hand, would take 57 hours.
UEFA only allocated both clubs 6,000 tickets each, too, despite the Baku Olympic Stadium having a capacity of 68,000.
So even if Arsenal and Chelsea fans were able to go to the final, buying a ticket would be pretty impossible.
And then there’s the controversy involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has confirmed he will not be travelling with Arsenal due to security concerns.
Armenia and Azerbaijan’s long-standing conflict has forced the 30-year-old to stay at home, which is simply unacceptable in this day and age.
It reads: “In addition to the numerous and unprecedented logistical issues that have precluded a majority of fans from both Arsenal and Chelsea from attending the Europa League Final, UEFA’s decision to host the match in Baku, Azerbaijan, is one that has forced Arsenal’s Armenian international.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan to be left out of the north London side’s squad for fear of bodily harm stemming from Armenia and Azerbaijan’s century-long violent conflict.
“This decision by UEFA is one that unabashedly prioritises profit over the sanctity of the beautiful game and the safety of its players; and while recognisably unrealistic.
This petition calls for UEFA to recognise the nefarious effects of their decision and sanction to move the final from Baku to London’s Wembley Stadium.