Newcastle and PSG fans clashed at a bar on Monday night, less than 24 hours before the teams go head-to-head in the Champions League. Video footage showed tables, chairs and flares being thrown in the melee and people shouting out as the two sets of supporters came together.
The showdown at the Parc des Princes is as big as they come for Newcastle, with the Magpies on the verge of exiting the Champions League. Eddie Howe’s side have won just one of their opening four matches of the competition and won’t be able to qualify for the knockout stages if they lose their latest encounter.
Newcastle fans were out in Paris in their numbers on Monday evening as they soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed a few drinks. One Newcastle fan on X (formerly Twitter) posted a video that showed the Magpies’ supporters singing and chanting in a bar in Paris. But his next video showed a scene of absolute chaos as tensions had clearly boiled over.
The video, which was filmed inside, showed rival fans wearing hoodies and balaclavas outside the establishment and attempting to launch the items through the door. And Magpies fans had no option but to shelter inside the building.
Newcastle have already played against PSG in the Champions League this season. The Magpies came up against the French giants in their second match of the competition and cruised to a 4-1 victory at St James’ Park. But Newcastle had been held to a 0-0 draw by AC Milan in their opening clash before being beaten by Borussia Dortmund both at home and away.
The Newcastle players have already arrived in Paris as they prepare for their fifth game of the competition. And ahead of the match, manager Eddie Howe told reporters: “We need to play on the edge. Every team is at their best when they have that different emotion running through them. We need every ounce of motivation and energy to get a result here. This is a defining moment in our campaign. We’re going to give it everything.
“It’s difficult to talk about their players. They have quality everywhere. They’ve been scoring goals for fun. Our structure and resilience has been good, bar the Bournemouth game. We’re going to need to be as good as we know we can be.”
And addressing his decision to train at the Parc des Princes stadium on Monday, the former Bournemouth boss added: “Just a change of feel. A different routine. You never know how these things affect your performances. We’re looking for an improvement which is why we’ve done what we’ve done today.”