Arsenal started planning bus parade for Europa League final victory before even playing quarter-finals

Arsenal started planning bus parade for Europa League final victory before even playing quarter-finals
Arsenal started preparing for a potential Europa League victory parade before they even booked their place in the final.The Gunners take on London rivals Chelsea in the Baku showpiece later this month, hoping to claim both silverware and a place in next season’s Champions League that final success guarantees.Unai Emery’s side made it past BATE Borisov, Rennes, Napoli and Valencia to reach the final, and club officials started looking into a potential bus parade while the Gunners were still midway through their knockout campaign.getty1

Arsenal have previously held bus parades, and they’ve planned one for potential Europa League success

The Daily Mail claim emails exchanged between Arsenal and Islington Council earlier this year concerned a parade should Arsenal win the Europa League, with one reading: “Whilst there is still a long way to go and much to plan, in principle, could you support an event?”The first communications are said to have taken place on March 6, the day BEFORE Arsenal lost 3-1 in Rennes in the first leg of their round of 16 fixture. A council member is reported to have agreed to a potential parade the following day.Arsenal completed a comeback victory over Rennes the week after the first leg defeat, before going on to beat Napoli and Valencia without losing another match to book their place in the final.

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“We are all excited to be in the UEFA Europa League final and obviously have to make all the necessary preparations to celebrate with our fans should we lift the trophy,” a club spokesperson said. “This includes contingency planning with Islington Council around possible road closures and safety arrangements.”Arsenal and Chelsea have been left frustrated at UEFA’s lowly ticket allocation for the final, with each club set to have just 6,000 fans at the 68,700-capacity Baku Olympic Stadium.

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