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Arsenal banned from showing Henrikh Mkhitaryan support in Europa League Final

By Vincent Ashitey
Arsenal banned from showing Henrikh Mkhitaryan support in Europa League Final
Arsenal banned from showing Henrikh Mkhitaryan support in Europa League Final
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Arsenal have been banned from a show of solidarity with midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of their Europa League final in Baku.

According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners were planning to wear shirts with Mkhitaryan's name on the back during the warm up to show their support.

The Armenian international has opted not to travel to Azerbaijan due to concerns for his safety stemming from political unrest.

Uefa have now reportedly thwarted the plans, making it clear to the north London club such gestures will not be tolerated.

The governing body has strict rules, with even celebratory t-shirts requiring approval, and Arsenal have dropped plans as they are keen to avoid any backlash with the strenuous diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It was announced last week that Mkhitaryan had taken the decision not to travel to Baku for the final, with furious fans launching a petition to move the game to Wembley in the aftermath of the decision.

Arsenal skipper Laurent Koscielny has also been vocal in slamming Uefa in support of his team-mate.

He told the BBC: “I’m not very happy because we need to leave one player behind and he can’t play in the final.

“When one country has a political problem with another then Uefa shouldn’t give the final to that country.

“We want Mkhi with us because he is an important player for Arsenal. But we know about the problems and if he thinks he can’t be safe it’s better for him to stay here."

“This final is very far for the fans of both teams and it’s difficult and very expensive to travel to Baku. We will play the game but it’s not the final we dreamed of.”

Mkhitaryan will be watching from home as his side aim to secure a major trophy and a spot in the Champions League with victory over Chelsea on Wednesday night.

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Source: Mirror.co.uk

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