LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku amid fears over his safety.
The 30-year-old's well-being was a concern for Arsenal due to the tense political dispute between Armenia and final hosts Azerbaijan.
The Gunners have decided against Mkhitaryan travelling with the rest of Unai Emery's squad for next Wednesday's game against their London rivals.
"We are very disappointed to announce that Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be travelling with the squad for our Uefa Europa League final against Chelsea," an Arsenal statement announced on Tuesday.
"We have thoroughly explored all the options for Micki to be part of the squad but after discussing this with Micki and his family we have collectively agreed he will not be in our travelling party."
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the UK, Mr Tahir Taghizadeh, had insisted Mkhitaryan would be free from any threat of violence, but it was reported the star did not believe he would be safe on the pitch.
"Having considered all the current options, we had to take the tough decision for me not to travel with the squad to the UEL Final against Chelsea," Mkhitaryan tweeted.
Â
"It's the kind of game that doesn't come along very often for us players and I must admit, it hurts me a lot to miss it. I will be cheering my teammates on! Let's bring it home."
Mkhitaryan had featured in 11 games during the Europa League campaign and his absence will be a big blow as Arsenal look for the victory they need to qualify for next season's Champions League.
"We have written to Uefa expressing our deep concerns about this situation," the statement added.
"We're also very sad that a player will miss out on a major European final in circumstances such as this, as it is something that comes along very rarely in a footballer's career.
"Micki has been a key player in our run to the final so this is a big loss for us from a team perspective."
Armenia captain Mkhitaryan skipped the Gunners' Europa League fixture against Qarabag in October because of tensions caused by a dispute over the Nagorny Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have feuded over Nagorny Karabakh since Armenian separatists seized the territory in a war that claimed about 30,000 lives in the early 1990s.
A ceasefire was agreed in 1994 but the two countries remain locked in a bitter dispute with frequent exchanges of fire, and tensions are such that Mkhitaryan also did not travel to Azerbaijan with former club Borussia Dortmund for a Europa League match against Galaba in 2015.
Football: World Cup winner Buffon to leave Paris Saint
Your Best Football News Source Neymar hits half-century mark as PSG are held by Nice. season with a 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at home to Nice, with Neymar notching his
UPDATE 1-Soccer-Neymar hits half-century as PSG are held by Nice
Football: Chelsea target Pulisic not for sale in January, say
LONDON (Reuters) - Aston Villa returned to the Premier League, after a three-year absence, beating Derby County 2-1 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Monday. Goals from Anwar El
Football: Villa return to Premier League with win over Derby
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino says his team must play with the freedom of their youth to overcome Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday night, adding they will need
Tottenham v Liverpool Champions League final will be 'amazing
Home United and Albirex Niigata (S) are leading the pack as the 2017 S.League season gets underway. ESPN FC. Global. Scores Transfers Live football odds with bet365.
Tampines must end Albirex dominance to keep title chase alive
Leicester line up Brendan Rodgers to replace under-fire boss Claude Puel Celtic boss is a prime target if Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha chooses to sack the Frenchman after the clash with Wolves this
Report: Leicester City make Rodgers top target following Puel
Pep Guardiola wants the pain of Manchester City's gut-wrenching Champions League elimination at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur to inspire a charge for an unprecedented domestic treble. Guardiola's side take on Spurs at the Etihad Stadium again on Saturday after VAR ruled out what would have been a stoppage-time winner
Guardiola Hopes Champions League Pain Spurs On Man City
Mauricio Pochettino: Spurs manager charged with improper
Burnley made a big step towards securing Premier League survival after coming back from a goal down to beat Bournemouth 3-1 away as their striker Ashley Barnes scored at both ends in an action-packed contest on Saturday.
AFC Bournemouth vs. Burnley - Football Match Report - April 6
Madrid, Nov 10 (IANS) Real Madrid's interim coach, Santiago Solari, on Saturday praised Welsh forward Gareth Bale while calling for patience with Spanish midfielder Isco Alarcon, who has yet to
Solari remains defiant as Real go out | ClubCall.com
Cardiff have expressed their shock after it was reported the pilot in the plane crash that killed Emiliano Sala was not qualified to fly at night. The club said they remained "deeply concerned
Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey set to cash in with Juventus move: Reports Description: Aaron Ramsey is already free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs and had been courted by a number of big names with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG and Inter Milan also reportedly interested.
Ramsey set to cash in with Juventus move | The Guardian
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen