Arsenal vs Vorskla Poltava boycott risk as furious fans protest late stadium change
Europa League clash is now set to be played in Kiev, some 200 miles from Poltava's ground, after martial law was introduced
FURIOUS Vorskla Poltava supporters are calling for a boycott of tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Arsenal.
The club were stunned by UEFA’s announcement late on Tuesday evening that the match will now be played more than 200 miles away in Kiev’s Olympic Stadium.
UEFA’s emergency panel made the dramatic decision to switch the tie after the Ukrainian government imposed martial law in certain sections of the country on Monday amid fears of a war with neighbouring Russia.
But Vorskla are still awaiting official confirmation from Europe’s governing body and trained as planned on their own snow-covered pitch this morning.
More than 17,000 tickets for the match in Poltava had been sold and Vorskla fans do not know if they will be valid for the Olympic Stadium and will have no way of getting back home after tomorrow night’s match.
The club’s official website was inundated with angry messages from fans, with one claiming: “UEFA once again proves that it spits on teams from other countries in the interest of teams from the top five championships.”
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Another wrote: “If the match is played in Kiev, then a boycott is needed. UEFA should not be allowed to wipe their feet on Poltava fans.
“What is the point in teams playing in European competitions if they do not let them play matches at home?”
A Vorskla official claimed: “As of 11 o’clock this morning, Vorskla continues to prepare the stadium for the game. We have sold more than 17,000 tickets and 120 hotel rooms have been reserved for the journalists.
“Vorskla sent documents to UEFA with security guarantees and the reasons for this decision is still not clear as Poltava is not in one of the regions where martial law has been introduced.”
But UEFA are adamant that the decision to play the match in Kiev is final, with Arsenal now flying direct to the Ukrainian capital after abandoning plans to travel to Kharkiv and then take a 100-mile bus trip to Poltava.
Unai Emery’s squad had been scheduled to train in Poltava this evening but staged their final work-out at their London Colney base this morning instead.
Hundreds of travelling Arsenal supporters have also had to make frantic last-minute changes to their plans.
An Arsenal spokesman said: "The safety and welfare of our travelling fans is our top priority.
"We’re working with UEFA and local authorities and are also in direct contact with the majority of the supporters who have made the trip to Poltava.
"We will update with further information as soon as possible."