Newcastle says fans “indiscriminately assaulted” by Marseille police

Advertisement

Advertise with us

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Fans of Newcastle were “indiscriminately assaulted” by French police following the Champions League game against Marseille, the Premier League club said Thursday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Monthly Digital Subscription

$0 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Monthly Digital Subscription

$4.75/week*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

No thanks

*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Fans of Newcastle were “indiscriminately assaulted” by French police following the Champions League game against Marseille, the Premier League club said Thursday.

Newcastle has formally raised concerns with UEFA, French police and Marseille for what it described as “unacceptable treatment.”

Marseille won the game 2-1 at the Velodrome on Tuesday. Newcastle said its fans were made to wait at the stadium for up to an hour after the final whistle. They were allowed to leave 500 at a time and police then escorted them to the Metro station.

FILE - Newcastle's fans hold up their team's flag before an English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park in London, on Oct. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
FILE - Newcastle's fans hold up their team's flag before an English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park in London, on Oct. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

“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,” Newcastle said in a statement. “This was actioned through a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields, with numerous supporters being indiscriminately assaulted by the police.”

The club said it was calling on UEFA and Marseille to investigate and is liaising with UK police to gather evidence.

“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,” it said.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Report Error Submit a Tip

Soccer

LOAD MORE