Opinion | Baku in the big league: Arsenal and Chelsea supporters caught up in Uefa playing politics with Azerbaijan
- Chelsea and Arsenal will contest the Uefa Europa League final in the Azerbaijan capital
- Supporters of both clubs are forced to embark on epic journeys to see their clubs
Eden Hazard, a Belgian playing for English Premier League club Chelsea, recently scored the deciding penalty in a Uefa Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt. The goal secured the team a place in the competition’s final against Arsenal, a match that will be staged in Baku – Azerbaijan’s capital city.
Most Chelsea and Arsenal fans were left scratching their heads, wondering where Baku actually was, which was quickly followed by questions about how to get there. The latter took on particular resonance when it became apparent that flying directly from Britain to Azerbaijan was rather difficult.
Dismay then ensued when Uefa confirmed that fewer than 13,000 tickets were being allocated to fans of both teams, despite Baku’s national stadium having a capacity of around 68,000 seats. One explanation put forward for the low allocation was that Baku’s airport is too small to handle a large volume of football fans.
Criticism of Uefa’s decision to stage a major international final in the Azerbaijani capital has also arisen. Several groups, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, have long questioned the actions of the government in Baku. Indeed, Azerbaijan is frequently accused of “sports washing” its tarnished image and reputation.
Yet this is not the first time the country has hosted major sporting events. Three Formula 1 Grands Prix have taken place in the streets of Baku since 2016, as well as the European Games in 2015. Clearly, despite international concerns, Azerbaijan appears keen to assert its position as an event destination rather than cowing to its critics.
