Arsenal has branded the decision for Azerbaijani capital Baku to host their Europa League final with Chelsea as “unacceptable” for fans struggle with the logistics and cost of attending the finals slated for May 29.
đ´ 2018/19 Player of the Season for Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette đ#UELfinal | @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/7iaIoX61NB
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 16, 2019
The London clubs were given 6,000 tickets each by European football’s governing body for the match at the 68,700-capacity Olympic Stadium, more than 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from the English capital.
The #UELTrophyTour hits #Baku đĻđŋ Who do you think is getting their hands on the đ? đĩ or đ´?#DrivenByKia @Kia_Motors pic.twitter.com/4QvbAqYsC8
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 16, 2019
UEFA cited Baku’s limited airport capacity as one reason for not reserving more tickets for travelling fans.
“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,” said Arsenal in a strongly worded statement.
âšī¸ Arsenal's last 8 #UEL goals:
Alexandre Lacazette âŊī¸âŊī¸âŊī¸âŊī¸
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang âŊī¸âŊī¸âŊī¸âŊī¸đ´ @LacazetteAlex & @Aubameyang7 đ¤ pic.twitter.com/xI8c3t9b0P
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 16, 2019
“Time will tell if it is even possible for 6,000 Arsenal fans to attend the match, given how extreme the travel challenges are.”
Liverpool and Tottenham supporters have also complained about the limited number of tickets given to both clubs for the Champions League final, in Madrid on June 1.
“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,” added Arsenal’s statement.
"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 (@Arsenal) May 16, 2019
“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.
đĨ đ đ đ đ đ đ đ đ đ đ đĨ
His first @Arsenal hat-trick = đđđ#UEL | @Aubameyang7 pic.twitter.com/cZ6yIrniPI
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 14, 2019
“We would be happy to join any future discussions to avoid this situation happening again.”