Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas was among the many voices to hit out at UEFA after the Europa League final in Baku was played out in front of empty seats and in a “dull” atmosphere.
The meeting between the London pair in the final has been beset with problems almost from the moment that both sides qualified for the showpiece event.
The Gunners left midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan back in London after the Armenian opted not to travel to the game, while fans from both sides found it difficult to get to Baku, with both clubs opting to send tickets back to UEFA.
That led to what many described as a “strange” atmosphere before the match, with the pre-game opening ceremony being overseen by DJ Jonas Blue.
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(Image: Michael Regan)
It was easy to see empty seats visible at both ends of the stadium, while Fabregas – working as a pundit for BT Sport – said “it’s sad to see a dull atmosphere at such a big final, maybe it’s the location.”
At the stadium, Daily Mirror chief reporter Andy Lines tweeted: “Shocking – Four mins until kick off and huge number of empty seats inside stadium for Chelsea clash with Arsenal .
In addition, the former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson told BBC Sport : “I do get the idea of UEFA spreading football around and taking finals to different countries, and I also know Baku will have probably spent many months getting everything sorted.
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“But if the city does not have an international airport, and people cannot get there, which is the case for Blues and Gunners supporters, then what is the point of them hosting a game like this one?
“It is bizarre, it really is, but the thing that really demonstrates that this is not just a bad idea but actually a mad one, is the fact that Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has decided not to travel because of security fears.”
