ARSENAL DEFENDER LAURENT Koscielny has said that Azerbaijan should not be allowed to host European finals after Henrikh Mkhitaryan confirmed he will miss the Europa League showpiece next week.
Baku will play host to the Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea, but the Gunners’ Armenian star will not travel to the match due to concerns over his safety.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in a conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has sparked fears over Mkhitaryan and Arsenal’s safety in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Uefa have been criticised for their decision to host a major final where such safety concerns exist, though Europe’s governing body insisted that they had received assurances over Mkhitaryan’s safety.
Koscielny, however, feels those assurances were not enough and called on UEFA to not hold any future finals in countries with such political problems.
“I am not very happy,” Koscielny told BBC Radio 5 Live. “First because we need to leave one player here, because he can’t play in the final.
“I think Uefa needs to know about the different problems they can have with the politics in the country. When one country has a problem with another they should not give the final to that country.
“For us it is difficult because we want to have Micki with us. He is an important player for us.”
Arsenal manager Unai Emery, a three-time Europa League winner with Sevilla, indicated the decision was made by Mkhitaryan and not the club, but he understands the midfielder’s reasoning.
“It’s bad news. We need to understand the political problem, but we must respect it,” Emery told a news conference on Tuesday.
“I spoke with Mkhitaryan this morning but it’s a very personal issue. He wants to play with the team. He spoke to his family.
“I come from the Basque country and we have a big political problem, too. I can understand his decision.
“It is very personal also. The decision is not in my hands, but I respect him.”
The Baku Olympic Stadium will play host to the final on 29 May.
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Both clubs should pull out if players safety cannot be guaranteed.
The clubs should man up and refuse to play the game in that kip. Play it in London, the will have the full support of the fans.
@Bungee Aky:
So it should be played in London because Chelsea and Arsenal are playing in it? Ridiculous
@Just Some Guy: the reason they won’t do that is because UFEA will ban them form all UFEA competitions for a couple of years. With the reasoning of bringing the game into disrepute so some bull like that.
@Just Some Guy: no, it should not be played in a country where a player is in danger, and then it should be played in the most logical place for the two teams.
@Lorcán Coyle: it’s not bringing the game into disrepute if they can’t go ahead on health and safety grounds.
Uefa, fifa, fai, IOC…rotten to the core
I watched their so called ambassador on sky sports , wouldn’t be trusting him with my safety
Did they not know where the final would be played when the entered the competition?
@samstheman: yeah. They did
@samstheman:
English clubs just like making a big deal out of everything. Other teams have played games in Baku with no problems
@Just Some Guy: in fairness other clubs don’t exactly have top Armenian players that can’t realistically be guaranteed safety in Azerbaijan
@Just Some Guy: your not the brightest sandwich in the lunchbox.
@Arsenal and @ChelseaFC Take a stand against racism together. Boycott the @EuropaLeague final. Azerbaijan refuses entry to Armenians. @HenrikhMkh suffers threats to his and his families’ lives. Show the world human rights are bigger than a game. #HumanRights #epl @epl #nouefaNO
Wonder if the Kardashians will be there. Probably not.
@Brendan Moriarty: Armenia, not American.