According to AP, Vorskla have confirmed that they will face Arsenal in Kiev this evening having been given guarantees that the Olympic Stadium in Kiev is ready to put the game on.
The Ukrainian side suggested last night that they may not partake in the fixture given the logistical challenges faced by supporters who’d bought tickets expecting the match to be played in Poltava.
UEFA decided that the game should be moved after martial law was enforced in certain regions of Ukraine by the government; a response to increased tensions with neighbours Russia.
Unai Emery’s Arsenal landed in Kiev yesterday with the boss hosting a press conference before sneaking a look at the state of the pitch. He was then taken out for a chicken dinner by Oleg Luzhny.
The match will kick off at 17:55pm GMT.
Phew.
Come on you Arsenal youth team!
Chicken in Kiev with the Horse. As you do.
No sides with the chicken?
Let’s be honest about this. Arsenal hierarchy have used the political situation and kicked up a stink to force the game to be moved to Kiev and so saving our journey. I feel really sorry for the Vorskla fans. One of the biggest games in their history, one which they would have clocked when the draw happened, having Arsenal at their ground, and they’ve been robbed of it. Not only are they getting the youngsters not the stars, but to have the game moved to a different city. A different ground. That’s gotta suck! I mean don’t get me wrong,… Read more »
Martial law is ‘the imposition of direct military control of normal civilian functions of government, especially in response to a temporary emergency such as invasion or major disaster, or in an occupied territory.’
The Arsenal hierarchy are terrible for having done that to Vorskla just to get the game moved to Kiev, just to get a shorter journey, as you say. It’s all our fault.
How is this our fault?
Lol jks obvs.
Blame on the warmongers, not Arsenal.
In Soviet Ukraine, game come to you
Ukraine is game to you?!?
Exactly…
Probably we’ve paid Vlad to bomb some ships. Would do everything to avoid a few hour bus trip! ?
Well, I thought we were just “Gunners” by name but who am I kidding, we are capable gunning down cities to the ground now to save a few extra kms of travel.
I’ve got a dead cert – Jenks to try and hit a volley like the one he did in the last Europa game!
I wonder if Vorskla made up the “we didn’t get confirmation so we might not play” thing just to through us off and hope we don’t show up thereby handing them the game lol
Cannot wait to get back into CL.
So many teams in europa lacking in standard.
I think into next round, the teams we need to be worried about the most are the British ones. Chiefly Cheshit but also Liverpuddle and Spurts should they drop down from the CL.
The rest of the teams, we are our own worse enemy.