Why holding the Europa League final in Baku was never a good idea

In the past, UEFA has had a solid track record at holding major finals in different stadiums across Europe.

Not only is the venue a neutral one at that, not handing any advantages to either side. But it gives great publicity to some cities that don’t usually get to see football of that calibre.

Cardiff and Lisbon spring to mind as two of the most recent cities that fit this bill.

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan seems to also be in that boat. But when you look a bit closer, it isn’t as it appears.

It will host the 2018/19 Europa League final between English superpowers, Arsenal and Chelsea. Both sides are strongly supported across the globe, meaning that tickets to the game will be hotly contested, right?

Wrong.

Arsenal and Chelsea have only been allocated 6000 seats each in the Baku Olympic stadium, which has a capacity for nearly 70000 people. Seems ridiculous right?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The rest of the seats will be given to corporate members and UEFA partners. You can make up your own minds as to why that’s the case.

It’s a blight on UEFA for not only choosing to do this, but to do it at the expense of those who make the game so unanimously loved across the globe.

The fans.

Furthermore, flights to Azerbaijan for anyone wanting to go to the game and cheer their team are stupidly expensive.

Some flights are in excess of 1,000 British Pounds (that’s 2,000 AUD) and require multiple stopovers. If you think back to last September when West Coast fans were ripped off by the airlines on their way to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final, it’s like that.

But on some serious steroids.

And as if it couldn’t get any worse, it has.

With Arsenal making the final, Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan would be in contention to either start or come on as a substitute. He’s been a serviceable player this season for the Gunners and would offer them great flexibility on the day, either on a wing or as a central midfielder.

But due to political tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it’s a 50/50 chance that Mkhitaryan makes it to Baku.

Now whilst it’s easy to say UEFA couldn’t have done anything about this, truth be told, they could’ve prevented this.

Simply don’t hold the final in a country where there are political tensions of any sort. As Thanos once said, “it’s a simply calculus”.

In a day and age where society thrives on inclusion for all people regardless of race, gender or anything else, it’s a damn shame that UEFA and the sport of soccer have come to this.

For everything they’ve stood to stamp out, this farcical situation which is overshadowing what should be a great final seems to be a step in the wrong direction.

It’s not as big of a mistake as the decision to host the 1985 Champions League final in Belgium’s Heysel Stadium, but it’s certainly a mistake that most football fans and UEFA will want to forget in a hurry.

Let’s hope that lessons can be learnt from this.

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Chelsea Teams Up with Vietnam’s FPT in Global Tech Partnership

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Image Credit: Chelsea FC website

Chelsea has revealed a new international partnership with FTP Corporation, the Vietnam-based technology solutions company, who specialise in supporting the digital transformation journeys of some of the world’s largest organisations through AI-enabled services and solutions.

Through the collaboration, the firm will bring it’s “future-ready technology and industry-leading workforce to advance Chelsea’s digital capabilities.”

Chelsea will tap into FPT’s expertise in digital technology, software development, product engineering, and IT service management.

The two organisations will work closely to identify and co-develop innovative solutions that enhance fan engagement both at Stamford Bridge and across the club’s digital platforms.

President of commercial for Chelsea, Todd Kline, expressed the importance of the partnership for the growth of the club.

“As Chelsea FC celebrates its 120th anniversary, we know our future will be shaped not only by our commitment to success on the pitch but by the transformation of our club using technology,” he said via press release.

“Vietnam has experienced significant growth in recent years and emerged as a global digital hub. FPT’s expertise in core business systems, data intelligence, and AI makes them the perfect partner to propel Chelsea FC into this new era.”

FPT Software United Kingdom CEO, FPT Corporation, Mark Scrivens, welcomed the partnership as a significant step in the company’s continued expansion into elite global sport and digital innovation.

“Our unwavering commitment to the UK market drives us to implement cutting-edge innovations, including data analytics and artificial intelligence, that will benefit Chelsea FC, its fans, and the broader community,” he said via press release.

“By leveraging these technologies, we aim to enhance on-field performance, deliver a personalised and immersive Chelsea FC experience, and foster a stronger, more connected community off the pitch.”

The announcement follows Chelsea’s recent financial report, which showed a pre-tax profit of $269.2 million for the 2023–24 financial year.

This turnaround comes after the club reported a $187.3 million pre-tax loss the previous year—its first under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The result was largely driven by the $413.4 million sale of its women’s team to another company owned by the club’s proprietors.

Chelsea has also welcomed Live Nation as its new sleeve sponsor for the remainder of the 2024–25 season, further expanding its commercial portfolio.

As The West London side continues its push for a top-five finish, the club looks to FPT’s technological expertise to support its performance ambitions and long-term global growth strategy.

A-League Transfer Revenue Soars as Youth Development Takes Centre Stage

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Image credit: Imago

The A-League reported last week that Australia’s international transfer revenue has increased by a staggering 1344% over the past three years.

With 2023/24 recording transfer revenue of $16.5 million and 2024/25 reaching $16.9 million, these figures represent a significant improvement compared to the 2022 season, which recorded just $4.17 million in revenue.

This growth coincides with recent data from the A-League showing that the 2024/25 season has seen 39% of A-League minutes played by under-23 players, compared to just 18% in the 2023/24 season and 13% in the 2022/23 season.

This indicates that this season alone has seen a 26% increase in overall minutes played by young players since 2022.

The result of this rise in youth talent is evident with Australia qualifying for the Under-20 Men’s World Cup for the first time in more than a decade and, just last week, lifting the trophy at the Under-20 Asian Cup.

The A-League’s recent success in youth playing time is directly intertwined with the rise in transfer revenue.

This increase in youth participation has emerged as a silver lining from tough times in the league.

In the most recent “Off the Pitch” podcast from Soccerscene, guest speaker Gary Cole, current president of Football Coaches Australia, provided his professional insight into one of these situations.

He explained that the COVID-19 crisis and the financial constraints placed on A-League clubs forced them to look inwards for talent.

Another recent catalyst has been the reduction in funding from the Australian Professional Leagues.

With funding decreasing from $2 million to $500,000 in 2024, clubs have faced difficult financial decisions regarding their budgets.

Players from club academies or even NPL clubs are far more cost-effective for club budgets than more expensive signings.

Additionally, their selling and transfer value provides a huge boost to club revenues.

These events are not coincidental but are catalysts for the rise in homegrown talent testing their skills and showcasing their quality on the big stage.

It demonstrates how, during tough times for the league, supporting youth development has become a key part of the league’s success and represents a profitable and dynamic opportunity for the future.

This opportunity to produce and showcase players to increase Australian youth football standards and therefore transfer value is a proven strategy in football.

Ajax’s Academy is renowned for developing class players and has for many years been a funnel for building their academy graduates and selling players for a profit.

In South America, Brazilian and Argentinian clubs such as River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fluminense and Flamengo have been persistent sources of footballing talent.

Selling stars like Vinicius and Julian Alvarez to Europe for significant financial benefits while still maintaining a healthy domestic talent structure and international success.

Importantly, the common factor in these successful systems is regular first-team minutes at their clubs and even on the international stage.

The evidence from A-League transfer revenues is fitting this pattern.

One must point out that, though this is a great revenue source and a way to place Australian football on the map, this focus can have an adverse effect on the domestic scene.

Football fans are passionate about their clubs, and nothing brings out more pride than watching one of their own prospects grow and play for them.

To use academy players primarily as revenue-building prospects can undermine the important place they have at the club and the overall goal of academies.

This could potentially alienate fan bases, impacting popularity and therefore the quality and financial interests of the league.

Transfer revenue should not be the central response to the league’s current financial burdens.

Being realistic about the position of the A-League in the international football hierarchy is crucial, though ambitions for the league to climb cannot be sidelined.

The rise in player transfer revenue presents an enticing prospect for investment and brings increased popularity.

Players themselves also have their own dreams and aspirations that must be taken into account, which can also encourage transfers and revenue.

Currently, the A-League has the unique opportunity to give its promising young players the chance to play top-level football while producing significant revenue and attracting sponsorship.

Australians playing overseas and at home, puts Australia on the map and solidifies our rise in the footballing scene.

If the focus on homegrown talent is managed well, Australian football will reap huge rewards.

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