IVAN THE TERRIBLE: Ex-Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis partly to blame for Baku farce as it is revealed he was on Uefa committee that named Europa League final host
The Gunners face Chelsea in Azerbaijan on May 29, with both clubs allocated just 6,000 tickets for the clash
By Jake Lambourne
FORMER Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis had an influence on Baku being chosen as the host city to stage the Europa League final, it has been revealed.
The 54-year-old – who quit the Gunners for AC Milan last year – was on the Uefa executive committee in September 2017 that selected the venue.
The decision to hold the final in Azerbaijan has been heavily criticised by Arsenal and Chelsea fans ahead of their clash on May 29.
Supporters have been left fuming with both London teams allocated just 6,000 tickets each – with Uefa claiming they cannot handle an influx of more than 15,000 fans.
And the Arsenal and Blues faithful face a nightmare 2,468-mile trip journey should they get tickets for the match, with return economy flights to cost almost £1,000.
Unai Emery's side slammed Uefa for allowing the fixture to be played in Baku as they issued a scathing statement where they branded the decision as "unacceptable".
They said: "Everyone at Arsenal is delighted to have reached the Uefa Europa League final and we are all very much looking forward to the match against Chelsea on Wednesday, May 29.
"However, we are bitterly disappointed by the fact that due to transport limitations Uefa can only make a maximum of 6,000 tickets available to Arsenal for a stadium with a capacity of well over 60,000.
"Time will tell if it is even possible for 6,000 Arsenal fans to attend the match, given how extreme the travel challenges are.
"We have 45,000 season-ticket holders and for so many fans to miss out due to Uefa selecting a final venue with such limited transport provision is quite simply not right.
"The reality is that whoever reached the final would not be able to meet demand from their supporters.
"We have received many complaints from our fans about this and we fully share their concerns.
"On behalf of our fans, we would like to understand the criteria by which venues are selected for finals, and also how supporter requirements are taken into account as part of this.
"Moving forward we would urge Uefa to ensure that supporter logistics and requirements are a key part of any future decisions for final venues as what has happened this season is unacceptable, and cannot be repeated.
"We would be happy to join any future discussions to avoid this situation happening again."