Newcastle to raise concerns with UEFA over ‘unacceptable treatment’ of supporters after Marseille clash

Newcastle United will raise concerns with UEFA, Marseille and the French police over what the club described as “unacceptable treatment” of away supporters following the Champions League clash at the Stade Velodrome.

The Magpies suffered only their second defeat of the league phase on Tuesday, losing 2-1 to Marseille after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned the game around for the hosts following Harvey Barnes’ early opener. Newcastle finished the Champions League matchday 11th in the table, still on course for qualification to the knockout rounds with nine points from five games.

Newcastle’s fans were held back in the Velodrome after the conclusion of the game to be escorted by police to the Metro station for onward travel to the designated away fan park at Place de la Joilette.

However, the club says that, following the release of the first group of 500 supporters, police used “unnecessary and disproportionate force” to halt the progress of the remainder of the Newcastle fans.

A statement from the club said that Newcastle supporters were “indiscriminately assaulted”, leading to crushing in the upper concourse as fans became increasingly distressed.

Newcastle condemn ‘excessive tactics’

Newcastle will take the matter to European football’s governing body, writing in the statement released on their official website: “We will be formally raising our concerns with UEFA, Olympique de Marseille and French police in relation to the unacceptable treatment of our supporters by police at Stade Vélodrome following Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture.  

“Following the final whistle, our supporters were required to remain in the stadium for a period of up to one hour on the instruction of local authorities to ensure their safety when leaving the stadium. 

“Plans were in place to move 500 supporters at a time, with a police escort to the Metro station for onward travel to Place de la Joliette. 

“Our supporters were in good spirits despite the disappointing result and waited patiently and without incident during the holdback period.  

“The post-match operation was observed at close quarters by our stewards and senior staff. 

“Once the first group of supporters was released, the police began using unnecessary and disproportionate force to stop the remainder of our fans from moving any further. This was actioned through a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields, with numerous supporters being indiscriminately assaulted by the police. 

“Many supporters were visibly distressed, particularly in the upper concourse area of the away sector, where crushing became apparent. 

“Our staff immediately addressed the matter with the police, however this had limited impact on their excessive tactics. 

“Fans leaving the stadium rightly shared their distress, frustration and anger with our staff, and we have subsequently received deeply concerning witness reports from supporters who were in attendance. 

“Supporter safety and welfare should always be of paramount importance, and we strongly condemn the treatment of our supporters by the police during this incident. 

“We will be calling on UEFA, Olympique de Marseille and local authorities to formally investigate this matter to ensure lessons are learned and this behaviour is not repeated. 

“We are continuing to liaise with the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) as we gather evidence on behalf of our supporters.”