Arsenal and Chelsea will take on each other in the Europa League final later this month at Baku in Azerbaijan.
But this match is proving to be a nightmare for the fans of both the clubs.
Baku around 2800 miles away from London and there are no direct flights from London. Both the clubs have partnered with Thomas Cook to provide travel packages but that too is proving to be too expensive for the fans.
And to top it off, UEFA have chosen to allocate around 6000 tickets each to Arsenal and Chelsea which has created a lot of stir since the official capacity of the stadium in around 68,000.
But recent reports have suggested that both the clubs are finding it hard to sell off these tickets too.
Last week the Chelsea Supporters Trust and Arsenal Supporters Trust released a joint statement which read(as reported): “Sadly, many (fans) have already decided that the cost and logistical difficulty of reaching the designated venue, Baku, means that they cannot attend.
“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 things stand, Arsenal have managed to sell around 3000 tickets for the Europa League final while Chelsea so far have managed to sell only 600 tickets.
And now reports are suggesting that the two Europa League finalists have decided to return back half of the allocated tickets.
This is a clear indication that the fans are staying away from the Europa League final due to the huge expenses required to make the trip to Baku and if things keep on continuing like this then there’s a huge possibility that the final will be played inside a half-empty stadium.
