PSG ultras take over Newcastle city centre and clash with home supporters ahead of Champions League tie as thousands of French fans descend on St James’ Park

• Newcastle and PSG will face-off in the Champions League group stage tonight
• Prior to kick-off, both sets of supporters were seen involved in pre-match antics 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

PSG fans were seen clashing with Newcastle supporters prior to their Champions League match on Wednesday night. 

Eddie Howe’s side will host the French champions for the second match of their European campaign this season, having been held to a 0-0 draw with AC Milan last time out.

However, amongst the excitement tonight, there was some nasty scenes as supporters and fans clashed prior to kick-off at St James’ Park. 

In a clip that appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, supporters were seen walking past one another, with police in between, and projectiles being thrown. 

A number of items, including bottles and flares, were seen flying through the air in the video which went viral prior to kick-off.  

PSG fans pictured as they marched through Newcastle on the way to St James’ Park

Newcastle fans stood outside the stadium and watched as the French supporters entered

A video on social media showed some conflict between fans prior to kick-off on Wednesday

Your browser does not support iframes.

In another video that appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, one PSG fan can be seen acting aggressively and seemingly throwing a punch at a supporter. 

The PSG fans had been escorted by police officers to the suitable away section of the stadium but not before some unsavoury scenes occurred. 

Fan marches are a common aspect of European away days for supporters and can, sometimes, lead to the two sets of supporters clashing prior to kick-off. 

PSG will be looking to follow on from their opening 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund last week, where Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi struck for the hosts. 

Despite the nasty scenes, the match promises to be an exciting affair as the Magpies take on the perennial French champions – who have dominated the domestic scene since being taken over by the Qatar Investment Authority back in 2012.

PSG have been bankrolled by Qatar Sports Investments to significant success, but the Champions League remains elusive with just the single final to their name back in 2020.

Their latest pursuit of Champions League glory comes against a side embarking on the same path, with Newcastle’s return to the competition seen as just the start due to being majority owed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The match is also notable off the pitch for pitting the top most well-known Qatar and Saudi Arabian-backed clubs against each other on the pitch, given the tension between the two Gulf nations in the past.

One supporter is detained by police on the scene following the pre-match conflict

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Read Full Article