Newcastle will complain to UEFA, the French police, and Marseille after accusing officers of ‘indiscriminately assaulting’ fans on Tuesday night.
The club says police used ‘unnecessary and disproportionate force’ to contain fans in the Stade Velodrome after their 2-1 defeat in the Champions League to Marseille.
That included the use of pepper spray, batons, and shields, actions which the Magpies branded ‘unacceptable’ and which they ‘strongly condemn’. Police insist a ‘crowd surge’ required riot police but that the operation was otherwise smooth.
This is potentially another stain on the French authorities’ reputation for mishandling high-profile matches, the most notable example being the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
It is customary for travelling fans to be contained in the away end after European trips to decrease the chance of any clashes with home supporters.
The plan on Tuesday was for fans to be held for up to an hour and escorted in groups of 500 to the metro, which they would catch back to the mandatory meeting point at Place de la Joliette.
Newcastle are set to formally complain about the treatment of their fans by French police
They allege that police in Marseille ‘indiscriminately assaulted’ fans after Tuesday’s defeat
However, the Magpies claim that after the first batch of fans was released, police turned to forceful measures to stop the rest of the fans from following behind them.
‘Many supporters were visibly distressed, particularly in the upper concourse area of the away sector, where crushing became apparent,’ Newcastle said in a statement.
‘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.’
Toon also invited any fans to come forward to share their experiences from the match.
Marseille police said that a ‘crowd surge’ prompted the use of riot officers.
They said: ‘At one point, towards the end of the operation, in the visitors’ section, a crowd surge required the intervention of the CRS riot police, one of whom made very limited use of tear gas, which caused discomfort to around 20 fans for a few minutes.
‘Apart from this incident, no force was used and the operation went smoothly. No injuries or complaints were reported following this event.’
Champions LeagueNewcastle United
