By Samuel A. May 25, 2023
Newcastle United have qualified for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2003. Liverpool’s home draw against Aston Villa on Saturday meant that Newcastle needed only a point from their final two Premier League matches to secure a top-four finish and an automatic spot in the group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League.
The Magpies confirmed their spot in the Champions’ league, after a goalless draw on Monday night against Leicester City, who needed a point to give them a glimmer of hope, amid Sunday’s relegation battle. The point ensured Newcastle cannot be denied a top four finish, heading into its final game of the season at Chelsea on Sunday. Leicester’s campaign closing game has far more riding on it, with the team still in the relegation zone, needing a win at home to West Ham to avoid falling into the second-tier Championship. just seven years after winning the Premier League in one of football’s biggest upsets of the season.
Speaking after Monday’s game, Newcastle manager Howe said his team exceeded expectations this season. In his words, “our expectation certainly wasn’t top four. I think you always hope, you always believe and you have to dream. But we didn’t feel that we were ready for that. After last season’s battle with relegation it was whether we could consolidate and become a better team. To not have that flirtation with relegation and try to give it a go, it’s just been incredible.”
Next season will be the club’s fourth ever UCL campaign. The Magpies failed to get past the group stage in their first attempt in 1997, despite having started that campaign by beating Barcelona. Five years later, they progressed to the now-defunct second group stage after finishing above Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord in the first, but were unable to reach the knockout phase after placing third behind Barca and Inter Milan. Newcastle’s most recent Champions League experience was a short one as they lost to FK Partizan on penalties in the third qualifying round in August 2003.
Playing in the Champions League so soon is probably beyond the expectations of the Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that completed a 300-million-pound ($409 million) buyout of Newcastle in October 2021, and has spent prudently and wisely, as opposed to the lavish spending many were expecting. “If you told us two years ago this was going to happen, we wouldn’t have believed you,” Longstaff said. Newcastle will enter next season’s Champions League at the group stage, which runs from September to December:
Matchday 1: September 19/20 2023
Matchday 2: October 3/4 2023
Matchday 3: October 24/25 2023
Matchday 4: November 7/8 2023
Matchday 5: November 28/29 2023
Matchday 6: December 12/13 2023
The date for the draw and the full line-up of teams involved have not yet been confirmed, but last season’s draw took place at the end of August. The competition will conclude at Wembley on June 1, 2024.
