Arsenal fans wearing Henrikh Mkhitaryan shirts stopped by police in Baku
Wednesday 29 May 2019 19:22, UK
Two Arsenal fans wearing Henrikh Mkhitaryan shirts were stopped by Azerbaijan police in Baku ahead of the Europa League final.
Armenian forward Mkhitaryan has chosen not to travel to Baku for personal reasons, due to non-existent relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The two fans from Thailand were briefly stopped by Azeri police officers on Tuesday before being allowed to continue on their way.
A win in Wednesday's final against Chelsea would see Arsenal secure Champions League qualification for next season's competition.
But the Gunners will have to do so without Mkhitaryan in the squad, who said he had taken the 'tough' decision not to be there, in spite of assurances of his safety from Azerbaijan's UK ambassador.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery said he respected Mkhitaryan's decision not to travel to Baku.
