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27th November 2025
01:38pm GMT
Premier League side Newcastle United have called on UEFA to open an investigation into the "unacceptable treatment" of their fans during a Champions League clash on Tuesday night.
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Newcastle faced Ligue 1 side Marseille in the southern French city on Tuesday and Eddie Howe's side were beaten 2-1 thanks to a brace from former arsenal striker Pierre Emerrick-Aubameyang.
Aside from the result, it is events in the minutes after full-time that have lead to the Magpies' appeal to UEFA.
The club have accused local French police of using all pepper spray, batons and shields on Newcastle United supporters after the match ended.
Newcastle have issued a formal statement detailing their intention to complain to UEFA.
The statement includes the headline accusation that police in Marseille made use of "unnecessary and disproportionate force" in order to subdue supporters.
The North-East club have also called on all supporters who were in attendance on Tuesday to come forward with more information in order to help build a clearer picture of events.
UEFA are yet to respond to Newcastle's appeal, and it remains to be seen whether a formal investigation will be opened into the matter.
"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."
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