How would Arsenal and their fans feel not traveling to Baku for the Uefa Europa League final without Henrikh Mkhitaryan, not because of suspension, injury or any sport related issue but because of country issues and yet Uefa remained firm that stadium and country would host the final, how sensible is this?
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has already released his statement concerning the match which is expectedly that he isn't traveling with the team to avoid complications arousing as a result of the political disparity between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Arsenal are reported to have issued a report to Uefa, pleading for the venue to be changed if for anything but for their player to be allowed participation with peace and concentration but it appears unchangeable. Not only would the fans find it difficult travelling such a long distance, the players would undoubtedly get tired and Arsenal would be missing one of tbeir best players so everything about Baku is Odd and Uefa is wrong on this one.
There are rumors that that this venue was chosen as a propaganda tool for President Ilham Aliyev who was re-elected president for the fourth consecutive time in an election Human Rights Watch condemned.
All these speaks bad for Uefa and if not for anything, the fact that Baku is unsafe for a particular footballer and the prediction of large number of empty seats as a result of restrictions at the airport are enough reason for Uefa to cancel the venue but what do I know? Let's see how it turns out.
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