3 February 2017 that six associations expressed interest in hosting, and confirmed on 7 June 2017 that three associations submitted bids for the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final: The following associations expressed interest in hosting but eventually did not submit bids: Georgia: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi Germany: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart (preferred over Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt) Scotland: Hampden Park, Glasgow The bid evaluation report was published by UEFA on 14 September 2017. The Baku Olympic Stadium was selected as the venue by the UEFA Executive Committee on 20 September 2017, while the Vodafone Park was successful in its bid to host the 2019 UEFA Super Cup. Background Chelsea were playing in their second Europa League final, having won 2–1 against Benfica in 2013. The match was their sixth overall European final, adding to two Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1971 (a 2–1 win over Real Madrid) and 1998 (a 1–0 win over Stuttgart), and two UEFA Champions League finals in 2008 (1–1, lost 6–5 on penalties to Manchester United) and 2012 (1–1, won 4–3 on penalties over Bayern Munich). In seventeen matches, Chelsea entered the match with a record of six wins, seven draws (two of which they lost on penalties), and four losses in European competitions against fellow English clubs. Most recently, they lost both legs against Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the 2010–11 Champions League. It was also Arsenal's second Europa League final, having lost on penalties to Galatasaray in 2000. Like Chelsea, it was the sixth time they appeared in the final of a UEFA competition. They most recently featured in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, losing 2–1 to Barcelona. They also reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup three times: in 1980, when they suffered a 5–4 penalty shoot-out defeat to Valencia following a 0–0 draw; 1994, beating Parma 1–0; and returning in 1995, losing 2–1 at the hands of Real Zaragoza. Arsenal had previously won 4–3 on aggregate against Anderlecht in the 1970 final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a forerunner to the UEFA Cup/Europa League. Arsenal were winless in their six prior meetings against fellow English clubs, with a record of two draws and four losses. Most recently, they lost both legs against Manchester United in the semi-finals of the 2008–09 Champions League. The match was the fourth Europa League final for manager Unai Emery, who joined Arsenal at the start of