Newcastle to make formal complaint over treatment of fans at Marseille match
The football club say their fans were subjected to 'unacceptable treatment' whilst attending the Champions League game
Last updated 28th Nov 2025
Newcastle are to complain over the "unacceptable treatment" their fans endured following a 2-1 defeat at Marseille in the Champions League.
The Premier League club accused French police of using a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields to subdue supporters in the wake of Tuesday night's loss at Stade Velodrome.
A club statement said: "We will be formally raising our concerns with UEFA, Olympique de Marseille and French police in relation to the unacceptable treatment of our supporters by police at Stade Velodrome following Tuesday's UEFA Champions League fixture."
According to Newcastle, travelling fans were kept inside the stadium for an hour in a preplanned move for their safety, with groups of 500 then escorted to the metro to go to the supporters' meeting point.
However, that is when plans seemed to go awry, with the post-match operation witnessed at close quarters by Newcastle's stewards and senior staff.
Newcastle's statement said: "Once the first group of supporters was released, the police began using unnecessary and disproportionate force to stop the remainder of our fans from moving any further.
"This was actioned through a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields, with numerous supporters being indiscriminately assaulted by the police.
"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.
"Fans leaving the stadium rightly shared their distress, frustration and anger with our staff, and we have subsequently received deeply concerning witness reports from supporters who were in attendance.
"Supporter safety and welfare should always be of paramount importance, and we strongly condemn the treatment of our supporters by the police during this incident."
Newcastle say they will contact the relevant bodies for an investigation into what happened "to ensure lessons are learned and this behaviour is not repeated" and have called on supporters to share their view of the experience.
Marseille says it has taken note of Newcastle's statement but has rejected the claims. In a statement, the club said: "The Club recalls that the organisation related to the reception and exit of visiting supporters had been defined well in advance of the match, in close coordination with the Prefecture of Police, UEFA and Newcastle United FC itself. This system, which complies with UEFA standards, was scrupulously applied and took place in good conditions.
"Olympique de Marseille would also like to remind you that it deploys, at each match, very significant human, technical, logistical and financial resources in order to guarantee opposing fans a quality welcome and optimal security conditions.
"The Club also stresses that no specific incident or alert was reported to it by Newcastle United FC during the evening of the match, nor by their representatives present at the stadium, nor in the hours following the match. In addition, the feedback sent to us by UEFA after the match attests to the quality of the system put in place and its good operational execution.
"Olympique de Marseille once again reaffirms its constant commitment to the travel of its own supporters and, for consistency, its commitment to offering opposing fans an appropriate and safe welcome. As such, the Club cannot accept that its liability is wrongly called into question."