Newcastle United will lodge a formal complaint over the treatment of their supporters by French police following Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Marseille. The Premier League club has accused officers of using pepper spray, batons and shields against fans after the 2-1 loss at the Stade Vélodrome.
In a statement, Newcastle said travelling supporters were held inside the stadium for an hour as part of a planned safety measure, with groups of 500 then escorted towards the metro. However, the club alleges that once the first group was released, police began using “unnecessary and disproportionate force” to stop the remaining fans from moving further.
“Numerous supporters were indiscriminately assaulted by the police,” the statement added. “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.”
Marseille police have disputed this account, saying they maintained a friendly attitude with Newcastle fans but that a crowd surge prompted riot police to intervene. They acknowledged that tear gas was deployed briefly, causing discomfort to around 20 supporters, but insisted no force was used otherwise and no injuries or complaints were reported.
Newcastle said they would contact the relevant bodies to ensure an investigation takes place and that “lessons are learned”. They have also asked fans who witnessed the incident to share their accounts. Marseille, meanwhile, rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, stating that the security measures were agreed in advance with Uefa and Newcastle, and that no issues were reported on the night.
