Arsenal, Chelsea Struggling To Sell Europa League tickets
Arsenal and Chelsea are both said to be struggling to sell tickets for the Europa League final on May 29.
The two London clubs will do battle in Baku on May 29 at the Olympic Stadium, which has a capacity of 68,700.
And yet despite this, a mere 6,000 tickets have been given to Chelsea and Arsenal supporters – basically, the amount you get in an FA Cup or League Cup away end.
But it seems as though a sizable portion of supporters have grown disillusioned with the location and venue for the final and have decided to give it a miss as a result.
I cannot believe incredibly loyal Arsenal and Chelsea fans being denied the chance to watch their teams in the Europa League final. Uefa have really let the fans down on this one. If a city hasn’t got the infrastructure to stage such a game, it shouldn’t be played there.
According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal supporters have purchased around half of their allocated 6,000 tickets at the time of writing, with Chelsea fans poised to have less in the ground as it stands.
It’s been said by one source that only 600 tickets have been bought by Chelsea season ticket holders and the club have made it so members are able to purchase tickets, with loyalty points no longer coming into play.
UEFA have claimed their ticketing policy is “responsible” given the logistics but last week the Chelsea Supporters Trust and Arsenal Supporters Trust issued a joint statement condemning the decision to play the game in Baku.
So UEFA says Baku airport and support structures don’t have the capacity for an influx of fans, hence the 6k allocation each to Arsenal and Chelsea. Yet there are 4 Euro 2020 games in Baku incl a quarterfinal – go figure!
“Sadly, many (fans) have already decided that the cost and logistical difficulty of reaching the designated venue, Baku, means that they cannot attend,” a joint statement read.
“Baku is one of the most inaccessible cities in Europe from the UK, with few direct flights from any western European destination. Fans who have been to 40+ games this season, loyal supporters by any definition, are unable to attend the climax of their club’s season, a dreadful reward for their season-long commitment
As the BBC there are currently no direct scheduled flights between London and Baku in the week of the showpiece, meaning the only decent option available at the moment is to get a direct flight from London on Saturday 25 May.
In addition, there’s still no word on whether Henrikh Mkhitaryan is safe and able to travel for the fixture.