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Arsenal 'bitterly disappointed' by Europa League final allocation

Arsenal say they're "bitterly disappointed" only 6,000 tickets have been made available to their ...



Arsenal 'bitterly disappointed...
Soccer

Arsenal 'bitterly disappointed' by Europa League final allocation

Arsenal say they're "bitterly disappointed" only 6,000 tickets have been made available to their supporters for their Europa League final with Chelsea.

UEFA claim that logistical issues have prevented them from allowing more supporters to travel to the stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.

But the North Londoners feel the situation is "unacceptable" - and have offered to work with European football's governing body to help find more suitable venues in the future.

They've slammed UEFA in a statement posted on the club's official website.

“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."

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Arsenal Baku Chelsea Europa League Europa League Final