Some fans don’t fancy the 5,000-mile round trip
Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly sending thousands of tickets for the Europa League final back to UEFA. Each side was only allocated 6,000 tickets, but neither has sold out their tiny slither of Baku’s Olympic Stadium.
The logistical complications of getting from London to Baku, with direct flights a scarcity, has led to many season ticket holders opting against making the trip to watch their team in a European final.
Arsenal are expected to have double the number of fans in the ground than Chelsea, with some tickets being sold to supporters’ groups in neighbouring countries in Asia, while the Blue have only sold 2,000 and will send the rest back to European football’s governing body.
The clubs will shelve their grievances over travel issues for the time being to focus on the match, but will take it up with UEFA after the final, which takes place on May 29th.
This fixture has been the subject of much debate after it transpired that Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan would not be able to travel due to fears over his safety – Armenian citizens are not permitted to enter Azerbaijan due to an ongoing conflict.
There have been calls to boycott the final over the issue, though chances of that happening look close to non-existent.
