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Newcastle fans make themselves known in Milan after 20-year Champions League absence

Written by Andy Delaney
Last Update: September 19, 2023
Published on

Newcastle United fans have been enjoying themselves in Milan over the past couple of days ahead of the club's first Champions League match in twenty years. Just under 4,000 Geordies will be in the San Siro tonight to see Eddie Howe's men take on AC Milan but even more than that have travelled over to Italy to sample the pre-match atmosphere.

While much of the pre-match festivities have been relatively harmless, one Newcastle fan has been stabbed after being caught up in an ambush. Eddie McKay, a 58-year-old lifelong Magpies fan, was with son and a friend when they were attacked on Monday while heading back to to their hotel room.

Aside from that incident, Newcastle fans have been largely enjoying themselves over the past couple of days. As it's their first European trip in some time, some fans have been guilty of behaving inappropriately in Milan and fans of rival clubs have been revelling in the supposed “embarrassment” online. Here are some of the best clips that have surfaced from Milan in recent days.

Newcastle fans in Milan – Best bits

Belly sliding in the rain

Last night, the first videos of Newcastle fans taking over the centre of Milan started to surface. Despite the Italian climate usually being warm and sunny, the Geordies seem to have taken the wet weather with them. That didn't stop them from having a good time, though, as a video showed several Newcastle fans belly-sliding across the road through the puddles.

Topless Geordie jumps into the canal

The weather has been a bit brighter in Milan today and instead of simply enjoying a pint in one of Milan's countless bars, some Newcastle fans decided they wanted to buy a pack of cans and hang around a canal – Naviglio Grande. If that wasn't strange enough, one middle-aged man decided to take his top off, jump into the canal and have a race with a group of rowers.

Have you ever seen a mackem in Milan?

One picture that has been doing the rounds on social media is a flag hanging off a bridge on the Naviglio Grande. It read – Have you ever seen a mackem in Milan? Sunderland fans weren't happy and were quick to point out that Sunderland-born Jordan Henderson won the Champions League as Liverpool's captain just four years ago.

A sing-song on the metro

After a string of questionable incidents, the Newcastle faithful started to behave slightly more normally as they made their way to the San Siro on Tuesday afternoon. In an impressive showing, the Geordies made a racket on the Milan metro in preparation for the big game later this evening.

Avatar of Andy Delaney

Andy Delaney

Andy is a freelance sports writer with ten years of experience covering major sporting events across Europe. He has also been a season ticket holder at Old Trafford since 2008 and has visited over 40 football stadiums in the United Kingdom and abroad following the Reds.

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