Europa League final: Arsene Wenger brands decision to hold final in Baku 'a nightmare'
What's the story?
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has joined a host of critics who think the UEFA's decision to host the Europa League final in Baku was a mistake. The Frenchman has deemed the move as 'a nightmare', particularly for fans of the two finalists.
In case you didn't know
Wenger's former club Arsenal are set to take on London rivals Chelsea in a Europa League final that has been marred with controversy in recent weeks.
The final will be one of the most poorly-attended finals in European history as the two clubs have only been allocated 6000 tickets each.
Moreover, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is located 2000 miles away from London, making it extremely difficult and expensive for fans to see their teams play in a European final.
The decision to host the final in Baku has also affected players, with Gunners midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan set to miss out on the crucial game owing to tensions between his home country, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
UEFA has since defended its decision but it did not stop managers Unai Emery and Maurizio Sarri from criticising the move.
The heart of the matter
Wenger, who will not be attending the final himself, has slammed the decision calling it a "nightmare". Speaking to Mirror Football, he said, "It’s a little bit of a nightmare. It’s the same for both teams, always. A final is a final. I don’t think it will… The teams do not have such a problem, they live in ideal conditions, they have a private jet, they have nice business seats. It’s the fans."
"That (Mkhitaryan) is something that should not happen in football, in the modern world. Politically, you cannot play a football game."
Wenger has also chosen not to be a pundit for the game as he risks being seen as critical to his former club and new boss Emery.
What's next?
You can catch the controversial Europa League final between the London giants on May 29.