Newcastle United supporters have embarked on a mammoth 2,529-mile trip from Tyneside to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the club's Champions League group stage match. The journey, which took over 17 hours to complete, involved a flight to Budapest followed by a connection through Istanbul. Only 1,998 fans secured tickets for the game, highlighting the long-distance commitment of the travelling support.
The trek reflects the remarkable turnaround under manager Eddie Howe, who took over when Newcastle were fighting relegation in 2022. Now the Magpies are competing in Europe's premier competition and remain in contention for both the FA Cup and a top-four Premier League finish. Despite a lengthy injury list including Tino Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, Howe has kept the squad competitive, with several players from his first match still featuring regularly.
During a layover in Budapest, fans and journalists noted the city's significance to Newcastle's history. The club won the 1969 Fairs Cup there, and the Hungarian capital will host this season's Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna. Locals expressed hope that Newcastle fans might return for the final in May, with one resident saying, 'We'd all love a ticket and it would be wonderful for Newcastle fans to experience our city.'
The journey also offered a reminder of wider world issues. In Budapest, billboards of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were prominent, and a local named Miklos said, 'We want to support Ukraine, but we want to buy peace, not war.' The contrast between football and geopolitics was not lost on travellers, but the focus remains on Newcastle's European adventure.
