Time for sense at UEFA

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Yeah, as if you know anything about cartography.. pft!

Shhhh. Don't tell my employer!

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Sounds like the UK.

Azerbaijan isn't in Europe, but neither are about 5 other countries that compete in UEFA competitions.

As for ease of travel, I had no problem on the both ocassions I went there. UK - Turkey - Azerbaijan.

Most of the complaints about the location seem to be coming from the usual shouty sweary radio phone in presenters who think the universe revolves around dear old Blighty and Johnny Foreigner has no right to a piace of the pie.

Do you read, listen or watch any media outlets run by Johnny Foreigners themselves and whereby they state reservations about the location and its relative inaccessibility for such a final? I read the German press and watch German media and similar comments can be found in contributions from those sources. No doubt, such comments may be echoed in other countries but I can't be bothered searching. It's therefore ironic that you are accusing others of being small-minded, parochial and xenophobic whilst.....

[Forest Green Bluebird]

Disagree with the big league argument as it would mean Cardiff would never have held it, but the fact that Armenians aren't allowed in the country should mean they couldn't. UEFA know this based on the draws for the Euros mentioning it everytime. I also thought Cardiff were stopped from holding it previously based on transport links being insufficient.

What I will say though is that if Liverpool, Man Utd, Celtic or Rangers were in that final yesterday they would have all taken 50k or so fans.

The decision to let Cardiff host the Champions League final would have had nothing to do with Cardiff City FC.

There was a restriction of 6000 tickets per club.

[Forest Green Bluebird]

It's far from ideal but by all accounts Baku is a lovely city. I just think people went overboard in slating it personally.

The opinion that it is a lovely city is irrelevant for the majority of fans who simply want to travel to watch a game.

Some may want to make a short holiday of it but others may be only able to get a couple of days off work.

[Forest Green Bluebird]

No one knew who the finalists would be when the allocation of the Final venue was made. Are we now suggesting that only FA's that may provide finalists should be given the opportunity to host a UEFA final? Since 1956 we've had the final of the Europe Champions League (including the European Cup) in the following countries - Italy 9 times; England 8 times; Spain 7 times; France 5 times; Germany 5 times; Austria 4 times; Belgium 4 times; Netherlands 4 times; Greece 3 times; Scotland 3 times; Portugal twice; Russia once; Wales once; Switzerland once; Ukraine once; Turkey once, with one more this season in Spain and one more next season in Turkey. It seems the Western UEFA members are getting the lion's share of the opportunity of hosting this prestigious cup final.

I can't find a lsit of venues for the Europa League Final but I suspect the pattern to be the same.

All members of UEFA are allowed to bid for these finals, and I see no problem with UEFA sharing them out - in fact they should be sahring them out a bit more than they have done in the past. I'm looking forward to Kazakhstan getting one soon. (Although I'd prefer to see Wales have them in a qualifying group for the Euros or WC first)

Unsure whether such a decision would be wise.

Why should supporters of the finalists have to travel large distances at great cost to themselves and the planet.

Climate change should be a major consideration.

Western European venues would considerably reduce the carbon footprint.

[surge]

Not within easy reach of those countries that provide the finalists.

But that's incredibly arrogant. The problem was not going to eastern Europe and only part of the problem was limited travel options to get there, the real issue was the fans were left to the mercy of extortionate travel costs (couldn't the billionaires who own Arsenal and Chelsea support their fans more?) and when they got there were miles away from the pitch.

UEFA trying to spread the game around Europe should be supported but it just didn't work this time.

[life on mars]

Strange combination use of words in the OP's post title ( Sense and UEFA)

[ken smith]

The decision to let Cardiff host the Champions League final would have had nothing to do with Cardiff City FC.

There was a restriction of 6000 tickets per club.

No idea what the blue reply means sorry.

Red, the teams mentioned would still have taken thousands and thousands, tickets or not.

[light up the darkness]

This thread appears to have degenerated into an exchange that I’m sure the OP didn’t intend

Marvelous and right in keeping with the standards we deserve and have come to expect on this MB

Keep up the good work please

[xsnaggle]

Baku is within easy reach of many UEFA Countries, just not the far western ones.

I wouldn't say Baku was in EASY reach of many UEFA countries at all.

[xsnaggle]

Good points

But when one of the players is banned due to his nationality is it really an ideal location?

I think a little clarity regarding this Armenian player is needed. He was/is not banned from going to Baku as a member of a foofball club.
In 2015 Baku hosted the European games and Armenia sent a team which encountered no problems except a little booing.
Wrestling is the biggest national sport in both countries. An Armenian won one of the disciplines beating an Azeri in the final. He was awarded his gold medal by the Azerbaijan president who, when the crowd boo'd, told them to stop and to applaud a fine sportsman. He congratulated and 'embraced' the winner just as he had every other medalist he met.
So I would suggest that this players non-attendance was probably really his personal choice out of his own expectations of what might happen. I really do not believe Azerbaijan barred him.

[Harry Monk]

I wouldn't say Baku was in EASY reach of many UEFA countries at all.

That's as maybe, but I've travelled there twice for football, stayed about 4 days each time and had NO travel issues whatsoever. Flight from UK - Turkey - Azerbaijan, completed in less than 12 hours. If changing a flight in a different country constitutes making a destination not within easy reach, then you're right, it's not within easy reach.

I travelled to Detroit last year, UK-NL-USA. Flying to the USA is not easy...........

[Harry Monk]

Do you read, listen or watch any media outlets run by Johnny Foreigners themselves and whereby they state reservations about the location and its relative inaccessibility for such a final? I read the German press and watch German media and similar comments can be found in contributions from those sources. No doubt, such comments may be echoed in other countries but I can't be bothered searching. It's therefore ironic that you are accusing others of being small-minded, parochial and xenophobic whilst.....

Most of the complaints about the location seem to be coming from the usual shouty sweary radio phone in presenters who think the universe revolves around rich wetern european countries and no one else has the right to a piece of the pie.

Fixed it for you. My point remains the same. The rich, greedy FA's want it all, and everyone else is just there to make up the numbers.

[xsnaggle]

That's as maybe, but I've travelled there twice for football, stayed about 4 days each time and had NO travel issues whatsoever. Flight from UK - Turkey - Azerbaijan, completed in less than 12 hours. If changing a flight in a different country constitutes making a destination not within easy reach, then you're right, it's not within easy reach.

I travelled to Detroit last year, UK-NL-USA. Flying to the USA is not easy...........

you can fly to Baku direct from heathrow. There are 3 or 4 flights regularly every week. more than enough for normal travel needs. It is when there is something 'going on' that it becomes more difficult to get a seat. But that is the same for any non capital/tourist city I expect.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Most of the complaints about the location seem to be coming from the usual shouty sweary radio phone in presenters who think the universe revolves around rich wetern european countries and no one else has the right to a piece of the pie.

Fixed it for you. My point remains the same. The rich, greedy FA's want it all, and everyone else is just there to make up the numbers.

So now it's the rich foorball associations that are the problem and not fans in most countries travelling to the host venue.

[SunderlandBluebird]

The opinion that it is a lovely city is irrelevant for the majority of fans who simply want to travel to watch a game.

Some may want to make a short holiday of it but others may be only able to get a couple of days off work.

The game is a Wednesday night so chances are you'll need more than two days off work wherever it is.Be surprised if you could easily do Madrid with 2 days off work unless you're doing a day trip in and out on a charter flight which is around £800 for fans for the CL final, or flying in last minute on the day of the game, risking missing it and missing everything that comes with such an occasion.

As I said, I'm sure they'd have found the extra day or two holiday had it been the CL Final

[Harry Monk]

So now it's the rich foorball associations that are the problem and not fans in most countries travelling to the host venue.

See my earlier comments re-travel. I've done it twice to watch football. No problems, no issues, great experince.

[Harry Monk]

The game is a Wednesday night so chances are you'll need more than two days off work wherever it is.Be surprised if you could easily do Madrid with 2 days off work unless you're doing a day trip in and out on a charter flight which is around £800 for fans for the CL final, or flying in last minute on the day of the game, risking missing it and missing everything that comes with such an occasion.

As I said, I'm sure they'd have found the extra day or two holiday had it been the CL Final

I need 2 days off for a Tuesday night game in the EFL.

[Wales-Bales]

You can guarantee that Arsenal and Chelsea would've sold their 6k allocation two or three times over had it been a CL final. As it was Europa, it was easy for them to turn their nose up at it and not get a connecting flight via a night in Istanbul or Georgia.

Someone on the radio had it right when he said Wolves, Leicester, Newcastle fans would've walked there to make that.

The Europa League is a tinpot trophy where the best teams don't play their best players. Some people on here think Sarri is a genius for winning it, when for most of the season it was used as a vehicle to give the fringe players a run out.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

See my earlier comments re-travel. I've done it twice to watch football. No problems, no issues, great experince.

That doesn't mean that your comments aren't worthy of challenging, old fruit.

[SuisseBluebird]

Been listening to the debate. Flights to Baku for the majority of UEFA teams likely to make the finals is not exactly frequent. Not like Madrid which hosts tomorrow's Champions League final and is not out of touch with holding big events, seeing as 2 major football clubs are based there.

The reason Baku was a host screams money, after all that's why F1 is there as as well. Same reason why Qatar hosts the World Cup in three years time. Its nothing to do with diversity and spreading the game. Qatar's population is smaller than Wales and they are largely ostracised from their Middle East counterparts.

I live a stones throw from the UEFA headquarters, I'll wave my fist at Infantino in the morning.