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Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   29 March 2024

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry issued statement about Mkhitaryan’s participation in Borussia- Qäbälä match

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry issued statement about Mkhitaryan’s participation in Borussia- Qäbälä 
match

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan has commented on Borussia’s midfielder Henrik Mkhitaryan’s hope to visit Baku and obtaining an entry visa. As “Armenpress” reports, citing Haqqin.az, the MFA of Azerbaijan stressed that sport is separate from politics.

“States conduct their policies in line with UEFA rules and take that rules as basis for holding matches in the territories of their countries when participating in such championships. One of the features of football is that it is a team game and it is perceived as team work and not individual. The visit of “Dortmund Borussia” to Azerbaijan is perceived from the viewpoint of a team visit not an individual visit and, despite sports and politics overlap to some extent, Azerbaijan’s stance is that sports cannot be used for political aims. As refers to the list of undesirable persons, here each case is discussed separately”, reads the statement.

After the draws of the UEFA Europa League, when it became clear that Borussia Dortmund, where the midfielder of the national team of Armenia, Henrikh Mkhitaryan plays, was to compete with Azerbaijani Qäbälä, information was spread by Azerbaijani media that Mkhitaryan may not get the visa or can even be arrested by Azerbaijani authorities. The reason for the arrest could be Mkhitaryan’s visit to Nagorno Karabakh. Borussia Dortmund hoped that Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not encounter any problems during his visit to Azerbaijan to play against “Qäbälä” within the framework of Europa League.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Balayan, at “Armenpress” request commented on the issue connected with the situation of the Armenia national team and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

“The ridiculous attitude of Azerbaijani side is not something new to us, as any person with an Armenian name is prohibited to enter Azerbaijan. The latter completely reflects the country’s policy guidelines of Armenophobia propaganda. It is clear that visiting Artsakh has nothing to do with it.

The situation has become so ridiculous that last year at Baku Airport a citizen of Turkey was prohibited to enter Azerbaijan because his name ended with “yan”.”, emphasized Tigran Balayan.

Earlier Borussia Dortmund expressed hopes that Henrikh Mkhitaryan would not encounter any problems during his visit to Azerbaijan to play against “Qäbälä” within the framework of Europa League. The press secretary of the Dortmund club, Sascha Fligge, mentioned about this. “At this moment Henrikh is a very important player for us and played a wonderful football during the last weeks so we hope that Mkhitaryan will have no problems playing in the EL”, Fligge said.

At the same time, Azerisport wrote that Mkhitaryan could be arrested in Azerbaijan if he arrived in Baku to play against “Qäbälä” in the group stage of Europa League. “His visit to Nagorno Karabakh can be the reason for it”, wrote the Azerbaijani website.

A number of politicians, public and cultural figures who visited Artsakh have appeared in the black list of Azerbaijan.

“Qäbälä”-“Borussia” stage group match is scheduled on October 22.








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