Jamie Rebuen breaks Newcastle United silence with 13-word message ahead of Barcelona Champions League clash
Newcastle United return to UEFA Champions League action against Barcelona at St James’ Park tonight.
Newcastle United host Barcelona in the Champions League at St James’ Park looking to get their group phase campaign off to a positive start.
The Magpies beat Barcelona 3-2 at St James’ Park in their first ever Champions League match almost exactly 28 years ago to the day.
That match saw Tino Asprilla score a hat-trick to put Newcastle 3-0 up before Barcelona pulled two back late on. The Colombian forward has been used as part of Newcastle’s pre-match promotion for Thursday’s Champions League clash.
It will be the fifth time Newcastle have faced Barcelona in the competition, more than any other club.
Tino Asprilla’s NUFC message ahead of Barcelona clash
Ahead of the match, Asprilla said via the club’s official social media channels: “I’ve lived many nights in football. But there are moments you never forget.
“I remember what it feels like to play in this shirt, to feel that energy lift me higher and higher. This club, every stone, every seat, is built on belief. And the people here, they don’t just watch football, they feel it.
“They live it. They breathe it. I’ve seen giants fall beneath the weight of that belief. The names may change, the shirts may change, but the flame never dies. This is Newcastle United. Get into them.”
The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
Eddie Howe looks ahead to Newcastle United v Barcelona
Looking ahead to the game, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “Absolutely, it is a historic fixture, as soon as we realised. We were drawn against Barcelona, it had a sort of magical feel to it. I think it'll be an amazing game to experience.
“Obviously we've been focusing on the tactical preparation and making sure we deliver a good performance. I'm really excited to sample the atmosphere and I think that'll just be an incredible thing again.
“There was a lot of unknowns last time [in the 2023/24 Champions League] and yes, the focus was always on trying to get through to the next round.
“So there was a feeling that we were something that all knew and we enjoyed it but ultimately we failed. So I think this time the result was stronger to try and progress and not just enjoy the experience but try and make it a meaningful one.
“We've done that historically in the past, learning from different things and then trying to add layers, whether that's our preparation or our general performance. We'll try to do so again.”
Football is BACK - subscribe to our Newcastle United newsletter for all the news straight to your inbox
Newcastle United co-owner teases Champions League clash
Newcastle co-owner Jamie Rebuen couldn’t hide his excitement for the upcoming fixture as he took to X to tweet: “Champions League nights at SJP are back!! I can’t wait, UP the Mags ! @NUFC.”
It was Reuben’s first personal tweet since posting an image of himself ahead of the Champions League draw last month. Since then, Newcastle have completed a club record signing of Nick Woltemade, signed Yoane Wissa and sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool.
The Magpies also picked up their first win of the new season against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Newcastle will be hoping to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time. It’s The Magpies’ fourth ever Champions League campaign and the new competition format means they will have to finish in the top 24 of a 36-team group in order to progress.