Arsenal's Europa League tie thrown into chaos as Vorskla Poltava say they can't guarantee match will be played in Kiev
Arsenal’s Europa League meeting with Vorskla Poltava has descended into farce after the Ukrainian club said they cannot guarantee they will be able to play the match in Kiev after the game was rescheduled by Uefa only 48 hours before kick off.
Uefa said on Tuesday night that tomorrow’s match had been moved from Poltava to Kiev following Ukraine’s decision to impose martial law amid rising tensions with Russia.
The governing body said the match will now be played at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, prompting Arsenal to spend the day frantically contacting their supporters who were travelling to Poltava, more than 200 miles away from the Ukrainian capital.
But Vorskla’s vice president Oleh Lysak has now said the club has yet to receive any confirmation from the Olympic Stadium that the venue will host the game.
Lysak said “the Olympic Stadium has not given us any kind of confirmation or any other kind of answer.”
It comes as Vorskla released a statement saying they were still doing “everything we can” to play the game in Poltava.
Vorskla’s statements appear to be at odds with Arsenal’s understanding of the situation. Arsenal told their fans earlier today that all fans with tickets to the game should make their way to sectors one, three or five at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.
Arsenal have also advised their travelling supporters to take trains from Poltava to Kiev in time for the match tomorrow, which takes place at 7.55pm.
The change of venue has allowed Arsenal to dramatically alter their travel plans for the match. They are now flying directly to Kiev rather than to Kharkiv, from where they originally intended to take a two-hour bus to Poltava.
Uefa’s concerns over security have been triggered by the Ukrainian parliament voting to impose martial law in parts of the country following the dramatic rise in tensions with Russia this weekend.
The crisis began when Russian forces captured three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea, accusing them of illegally entering Russian waters. In response, Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko called for martial law to be imposed for the first time, saying it was necessary to protect the country from a potential ground invasion.
Martial law allows authorities in Ukraine to regulate the media, restrict public rallies and mobilise citizens with military experience. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has expressed his “serious concern” over Poroshenko's decision.
