AUTO-GOAL FROM MKHITARYAN

On May 29, Baku hosted a majestic sporting event, the final match of the Europa League between the English football clubs of Arsenal and Chelsea. However, the British media, unlike their football players, have tried to spoil the holiday even before it began, unleashing an unprecedented bad publicity campaign against Azerbaijan.

Hysteria English style

Angry cries from Albion began immediately after it became clear that two English teams would play in the final match of the Europa League. Instead of rejoicing to the first-in-many-years 'purely English' finale, when the English teams have made their way up to the two largest tournaments of the Old World (UEFA Champions League final held in Madrid between Liverpool and Tottenham and the Europa League final in Baku), the British Foreign Office issued an official warning that Baku could be "dangerous at night". British media have supported the strange statement of the diplomatic department using the slightest opportunity to blacken Azerbaijan and its capital city. In most cases, the far-fetched charges had no evidence whatsoever.

Sometimes the degree of hysteria would run really high. For example, according to The Guardian, a trip of approximately 45,000 English football fans to the finals of the Europa League and the Champions League in Baku and Madrid would lead to the release of more than 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide in Britain alone. "It would be better if Arsenal and Chelsea played in London," The Guardian summed up in all its absurdity. As if thousands of flights made daily over Britain do not count, the newspaper claims that it was exactly the planes flying to Baku that cause environmental damage. We are lucky that British airplanes do not use Azerbaijani fuel (Britain has enough oil companies anyway); otherwise fake and stinky news would certainly spoil the environment.

Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, whose team should actually have played in Madrid, has fuelled the media frenzy by accusing UEFA of "irresponsibility" when choosing the venue for the final match. "I don’t know what these decision-makers ate for breakfast... I have no idea how to get there and whether there are regular flights to Baku. No clarity at all. Decisions about the finals should be much more reasonable and logical. This is irresponsible. I don’t know how they make such decisions," Klopp said. Apparently, his memory has been tampered: in 2010, Klopp was in Baku as part of Borussia Dortmund and even managed to defeat the local team of Garabagh. Even the finalist teams, Arsenal and Chelsea, have already been to Baku recently, let alone such famous clubs as Atletico, Roma and Sporting.

However, it was the Arsenal leadership that continued the series of dubious claims, declaring "the high cost and distance of the trip to Baku". They claimed that many fans would not be able to get to Baku and this situation was "unacceptable." UEFA has tried to reassure the Arsenal leadership by promising that the organisation’s professionals would solve all issues related to logistics and that they could confidently book tickets for the Olympic Stadium in Baku. However, the bosses of Arsenal have safely receded by throwing their Armenian player Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the edge of attacks against Azerbaijan.

Henrikh the Long-suffering

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is also the captain of Armenian national team, announced that he would not go to the final game in Baku "for security reasons". Immediately, the "well-wishers" spilled another tub of dirt onto Azerbaijan. "Violation of sport principles", "hatred of Armenians", "xenophobia" are by no means the entire list of virtual accusations of the British media against Baku. British journalists almost sincerely regretted that 30-year-old Mkhitaryan would miss, perhaps, the main match in his career. They also remembered the fact that Henrich lost his father early, experienced many difficulties in his career, and was forced to help his family being the sole breadwinner. Media have gradually created an image of a man who has suffered a lot in his life, his last trouble being the compulsion to miss the final math of a prestigious tournament. We can only add that Mkhitaryan is just as "long-suffering" as modern-day Armenia positions itself.

After all, this is not Henrikh, who violated the principles of sport and openly supported the separatist regime of Karabakh by visiting the occupied lands of Azerbaijan every year. This is not Henrikh, who has made generous donations to Azatamartiks, Armenian militants, who have killed hundreds of innocent Azerbaijanis in Karabakh. No, this is not Henrikh that we know. This is Henrikh the Long-suffering.

The government of Azerbaijan took into account the "inhuman suffering" of the Armenian football talent. Although any illegal visit to the occupied Azerbaijani lands automatically puts Mkhitaryan on the black list of people denied entry to Azerbaijan, he was given unprecedented personal security guarantees.

The only thing left for Henrikh was to visit Baku to show the world goodwill as one of the main principles of sport.

But Mkhitaryan decided to politicise the issue and after a short pause he finally refused to visit Baku. Indifferent to football fans wishing to watch his game, he has demonstrated his incompetence as an athlete and has likely failed to score political points for this act. After all, one cannot hide the obvious these days of information technology. Football fans have thus left very explicit comments in social networks: the carrier of the name of English kings soon be deposed from the throne.

Armenian athletes have taken part in competitions held in the capital of Azerbaijan more than once. Just a few days before the Europa League final in Baku, the Janazian siblings, Garsevan and Duhik, came to Baku to attend the Aerobic Gymnastics European Championship as part of the Russian team. They have demonstrated their skills at the National Gymnastics Arena, which is very close to the Olympic Stadium. In the summer of 2015, the athletes of the Armenian national team marched with Armenian flag in the Parade of Flags ceremony of the First European Games. At that time, 25 Armenian athletes took part in the games in Baku. If we add to this number the escort teams, including coaches and other members of Armenian delegation, it turns out that dozens of Armenians have lived and walked in the capital of Azerbaijan for weeks in complete safety.

We also recall the ethics lesson from the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the same competition, when he personally awarded Ukrainian athlete of Armenian origin Gevorg Manukyan. Is this not a message of goodwill, which is above all formal obligations and guarantees?!

Yes, Azerbaijan and Armenia are in a state of war, Armenia occupies 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan. But official Baku has always provided security guarantees to any Armenian athlete who wants to take part in competitions in Azerbaijan, and continues to follow the repeatedly stated principle of "Sport is out of politics".

In his interview with CNN, Azerbaijani Minister of Sports, Azad Rahimov, noted that the country had provided Mkhitaryan with all the necessary guarantees. "Big guarantees? What do you mean by 'big guarantees'? More than 100%? We did everything necessary and provided all possible and impossible guarantees. You mean we were supposed to send him a private plane accompanied by two fighter jets?" Mr. Rahimov said.

It turns out that Mkhitaryan is just a victim of Armenian ambitions, who has sacrificed his club to them. However unpleasant it may sound, Mkhtaryan did not, apparently, consider the Europa League final the most important match for his native club Arsenal. It is definitely not a story that the fans of Arsenal will pass down to the future generation. But it seems it will be very difficult for him to bounce the auto-goal back.

"Oh my God"

Mkhitaryan’s decision to miss the match in Baku has received mixed reactions in social networks. Informed fans accused him of trying to extract political gain. Many users noted that Armenian athletes had repeatedly visited Baku in and were not threatened there. Even many celebrities commented on the issue. For example, the legend of English football, Gary Lineker, has left just a short message: "Oh my God!"

English media attacks did not go unnoticed by ordinary citizens and celebrities from various countries who had ever visited Baku. Thus, the former Arsenal footballer Robert Pires refuted statements that it was difficult to get to Baku, and also that it’s not safe in our city: "I think Baku is not so far from London, as they say. You can fly there by plane in five hours. I have been there before. There can be no talk of Baku being a dangerous city."

The former player of the Ghana national team and London's Chelsea Michael Essien turned to the English fans, noting that Baku is a bright city with peace-loving residents: "Come to Baku in the morning, have breakfast, and in the evening watch the Europa League final".

Former Azerbaijani national team coach Berti Vogts also said that it is difficult for him to understand why the British media launched such a smear campaign against the final in Baku.

 "I am very sorry that Mkhitaryan will miss the final. It is difficult for me to figure out what contributed to his decision. Given that I am well acquainted with Azerbaijan, I do not think that he could have security problems here," Vogts said.

Yuri Semin, a well-known Russian trainer who has worked in Baku for years has made the following comments regarding speculations around Baku: "Truly honest and hardworking people live in Azerbaijan who love football very much and, moreover, love to receive guests. If you behave politely and adequately, you will be happy to be invited to taste incredibly delicious dishes, absolutely for free."

And the best balm to the soul of Azerbaijani fans was the short message of Mesut Ozil, Mkhitaryan's teammate of Turkish origin: "My Azerbaijani brothers! We did it; we are in the final! See you in Baku."

Azerbaijani hospitality

A month before the final game of the Europa League, Baku switched to the rhythm of a big football festival. One could see numerous banners, attributes of UEFA and the upcoming battle for the Europa League Cup hanging on the streets and squares of the city.

Various actions and flash mobs replaced each other on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital every day and night before the event. AFFA organised an interesting campaign involving actors in costumes of famous English characters, including Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chaplin, James Bond and Freddie Mercury. Tourists were happy to take photos with them.

Football fans from England and other countries began to arrive in Baku a week before the final. Residents of Baku watched with interest the foreigners who carelessly sunbathe topless on Baku Boulevard. The guests answered them with mutual smiles. There was not a single complaint from guests of the capital and vice versa - only enthusiastic responses in social networks. It could not be otherwise, because Azerbaijan always pays a lot of attention to the organisation of events and accommodation of teams and fans, security and other important things.

All instances and services of Baku from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport to the staff of hotels, cafes and bars did an excellent job considering a large inflow of tourists. This is not surprising however.

Azerbaijan regularly hosts prestigious international competitions in various sports. Among the participants are representatives of Armenia and ethnic Armenians. And never a single incident was recorded. Until today, the country has become the venue for such major international events as Formula 1, European Games, Eurovision 2012, Islamic Games of Solidarity. The English derby with the participation of Arsenal and Chelsea simply could not get out of this honorary series, which was also confirmed in practice.