The Olympic stadium in Baku where the Europa League final will be playedAmnesty International has criticised UEFA's decision to hold the Europa League final in Azerbaijan, saying the country should not be allowed to “sportswash its appalling human rights record” by staging major events. Arsenal and Chelsea will make the 3,000-mile journey on May 29, even though the two clubs are based just a few miles apart in London. "Azerbaijan is in the grip of a sinister human rights crackdown, with journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders being ruthlessly targeted. 0:46 Arsenal prepare for the Europa League final with a week to go before they face Chelsea in Baku Arsenal prepare for the Europa League final with a week to go before they face Chelsea in Baku"LGBT people have been arrested, and even people fleeing the country have been harassed and pressured to return. "All too often, governments are using high-profile sporting competitions to distract attention from repressive policies and human rights violations, to instead project an image of openness.

Source: Sky sports May 22, 2019 16:41 UTC