Newcastle make UEFA complaint after ‘fans pepper sprayed and beaten’ by police
Newcastle have released a statement to condemn the alleged poor treatment of their supporters by French police inside the Stade Veldrome after their Champions League defeat by Marseille
Newcastle will complain to UEFA, Marseille and the French police after claiming the club’s supporters became victims of “unnecessary and disproportionate force” after their Champions League game on Tuesday night. The Magpies were beaten 2-1 by Marseille before the travelling away fans allegedly experienced heavy-handed tactics from local police.
Harvey Barnes’ early goal gave the Newcastle fans something to cheer in the south of France before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace turned the game around to give Marseille victory. Things got worse for the away fans, who were kept inside the Stade Velodrome after the final whistle.
That approach is common in Europe, where police try to keep the two sets of supporters away from each other. But Newcastle claim that fans were “indiscriminately assaulted by the police” who used “a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields”.
“Many supporters were visibly distressed, particularly in the upper concourse area of the away sector, where crushing became apparent,” Newcastle United said in a statement. “Our staff immediately addressed the matter with the police, however this had limited impact on their excessive tactics.
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“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.”
The idea had been to keep Newcastle fans back for around an hour after the final whistle, with 500 at a time then ushered to the Metro station for onward travel to Place de la Joliette.
However, the club alleges that, despite waiting patiently, away fans were set upon by the French police. They have called upon those who were there to share their experiences and any footage they have to strengthen their complaint.
Social media was awash with Newcastle fans sharing negative experiences on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, with videos showing fans being pushed back by riot shields and hit by batons. Footage also appeared to show fans standing in water after the toilets flooded.
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