Chelsea vs Arsenal: Petition to have UEFA move Europa League final from Baku to Wembley reaches 13,000 signatures

Chelsea vs Arsenal: Petition to have UEFA move Europa League final from Baku to Wembley reaches 13,000 signatures
An Arsenal supporter’s petition to have the Europa League final against Chelsea moved from Baku to Wembley has reached 13,000 signatures.Gunners forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan chose to stay at home over fear for his safety because of the long-running conflict between his homeland Armenia and host country Azerbaijan.Getty Images - Getty3

Mkhitaryan will NOT play in the final due to Armenia and Azerbaijan’s century-long conflict

Fans of both sides were already angry the May 29 final – a game you can listen to live on talkSPORT – is being played in a nation almost 3,000 miles away and that they would only be given an allocation of 6,000 tickets each.

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• Mkhitaryan accused of making ‘political statement by not playing in Baku

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The petition, which has amassed over 13,000 signatures so far, was set up by an Arsenal fan and has called on both Gunners and Chelsea supporters to sign.It reads: “In addition to the numerous & unprecedented logistical issues that have precluded a majority of fans from both Arsenal & Chelsea from attending the Europa League Final, Uefa’s decision to host the match in Baku, Azerbaijan, is one that has forced Arsenals Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan to be left out of the North London sides squad, for fear of bodily harm stemming from Armenia and Azerbaijans century-long violent conflict.

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“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 of move of the final from Baku to Londons Wembley Stadium.“By signing this petition, you will be taking a stand in solidarity with the fans of Arsenal and Chelsea, Mkhitaryan, and the game of football itself.change.org3

Over 13,000 people have now signed the petition

The hashtag ‘BoycottBaku’ has been used a number of times since Arsenal announced that Mkhitaryan would not be travelling to the game.Arsenal are now set to meet European football’s governing body with the club’s managing director Vinai Venkatesham calling the situation ‘unacceptable’.Getty Images - Getty3

There have even been calls to relocate the final to Wembley Stadium

He said: “I struggle to find words for how strongly I feel.“We don’t feel he can travel and it’s extraordinarily sad. You don’t get a chance to play in major European finals often and Miki has had it taken away from him.“We made our point clearly to Uefa – we have written to them. We will also sit down with them face to face after the final and express how it is unacceptable and how it can never happen again to Arsenal or anyone.”

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