Chelsea handed nightmare European venue change as December fixture is moved over 700 MILES – with players and fans facing minus temperatures and an eight-hour flight
- Chelsea’s upcoming match against Astana is held over 700 miles away
- The Blues now play in a roofless stadium less than 300 miles from China
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Chelsea are once again facing problems in the Europa Conference League after their league match against Astana was played over 700 miles away.
The Blues were due to fly to Kazakhstan in December for the European third-tier clash, but will now travel to an alternative location closer to the border with China.
Renovation work at the 30,000-seater Astana Stadium has resulted in a move to another venue, meaning the Blues will now play on the other side of Kazakhstan.
Enzo Maresca’s team will make the long journey to the Almaty Ortalyk Stadium in Almaty on the border with Kyrgyzstan, which is just 400 kilometres from China.
The change of venue will require Chelsea’s players to make a flight of over eight hours, resulting in Blues fans wanting to travel to the match facing high costs.
Chelsea face fresh problems in the Europa Conference League after their league match against Astana was moved more than 700 miles away
Enzo Maresca’s team will make the long journey to the Almaty Ortalyk Stadium in Almaty
The freezing temperatures in Kazakhstan regularly drop below -5 degrees in December. And to make matters worse, the stadium where Chelsea plays has no roof.
This means that players, coaches and supporters will have to deal with extreme winter weather conditions during the match, with the possibility of heavy snow and ice.
The multi-purpose stadium also features an athletics track that runs around the pitch and serves as Kazakhstan’s national football field.
Chelsea begin their Europa Conference League campaign at Stamford Bridge on October 3 against Gent.
They will then fly to Athens, Greece, to play Panathinaikos, before returning to London, where they will host Armenia’s FC Noah.
The Blues will face six clashes in the Europa Conference League group stage
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will now take his Blues team to the other side of Kazakhstan
A trip to German side Heidenheim precedes Chelsea’s trip to Kazakhstan before the Blues play their opening Conference League games against Shamrock Rovers.
Cole Palmer is one of the Blues players who will not have to make the arduous European journeys after he was left out of Chelsea’s first-team squad for the Europa Conference League.