The past glory of English football is back in the spotlight, twenty years after its last participation in the Champions League. This evening, the “Magpies” host PSG in a scent of renewal.
From one boiling stadium to another: after the joy of the Lensois in Bollaert after the 2-1 victory against Arsenal, Wednesday October 4, it is the Parisians who will throw themselves into the lair of the Magpies: Saint James Park, in Newcastle, in the north of England. The legendary club, founded in 1892, has partly regained its former glory on the field thanks to the recruitment carried out smoothly by coach Eddie Howe, a true master of the game, but also – and above all, some would say, thanks to its new Saudi owner .
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Everything changed with the takeover, announced on October 7, 2021, of a group of investors 80% dominated by the PIF (Public Investment Fund), the now famous Saudi sovereign fund. Without falling into extravagant spending, the club from the industrial north of England has since pursued a staggered and judicious recruitment policy. The first transfer window allowed him to attract, for example, the ex-Lyon player Bruno Guimaraes and to repatriate the current captain Kieran Trippier, from Atlético Madrid… And to start “dreaming big” , to use a slogan from PSG, evening opponent.
“A new era”
Around the stadium, everyone admits: something clicked. “You can see the difference, the atmosphere… It’s full here on match days!, enthuses Sofia, a waitress at The Strawberry pub – which takes its name from the vast field of strawberries before the installation of Saint James Park. People have been coming back since the Saudis arrived, they are enthusiastic. It’s a new era for the club. It’s truly an incredible time“, she assures.
If Newcastle flies the Saudi flag and PSG, that of Qatar: the Gulf battle is on. But it’s not that of Mark, proud to see his Magpies in the Champions League, more than 20 years later: “No, that has nothing to do with me. Honestly, it’s great to see someone who wants to invest in your club and aim for the heights“, assures this fan.
Former international Yohan Cabaye played for both clubs. If he is still at PSG in charge of training, that does not stop him from saying good things about the Saudi project in Newcastle: “I see that they are doing things well and today they are rewarded. They are English players and there is still this desire to nourish English culture. It’s interesting. I think it was well spent,” he defends. Two years ago, the Saudis bought the club for 345 million euros: in 2011, Qatar had spent ten times less on PSG, now valued at more than 4 billion euros.