Supporters can enjoy a safe stay, insists Azerbaijan chief

AZERBAIJAN football boss Elkhan Mammadov is confident Wales fans will enjoy a safe Euro 2020 stay in Baku amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 2,000 Wales supporters are due to make the 3,000-mile trip to the shores of the Caspian Sea for their games against Switzerland and Turkey in Baku.

The fans have travelled against the advice of the Welsh Government, with Azerbaijan being on the ‘amber list’ that requires people to book Covid-19 tests on days two and eight upon their return and quarantine for 10 days.

Reduced infection rates in Azerbaijan, however, have seen restrictions eased with bars and restaurants reopened last month and the mandatory wearing of masks ending on June 1.

“We are not back to normal yet, but we are very close,” Mammadov, the executive vice-president and general secretary of the Azerbaijan Football Association, told the PA news agency.

“The restaurants, bars and sightseeing tours are open now and there is no obligation to wear the mask in the stadium.

“This is a very good improvement considering it is getting hotter with the average temperature a bit higher than 28.

“The PCR test, testing negative, is enough to get the visa and there is no quarantine on arrival.

“We’re confident that the fans will be safe and we’ve minimised the risk by not having a fans’ zone.

“After the last year, football offers additional hope to the 11 cities getting back to the normal.”

Wales’ players will send out an anti-racism message before all three games by taking the knee before kick-off.

Mammadov said: “The local fans in Azerbaijan will show their respect because we are together for the anti-racism campaign and the respect campaign.”