Newcastle United back in the Champions League

After 20 years, Newcastle United returns to participate in the top continental tournament, after a great season, beating teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, or Brighton (another big surprise of the season). The large investment from Saudi Arabia has been a catalyst that has allowed the team’s performance to improve considerably, but the management of the club has not been like that of others in a similar situation and that is Newcastle’s greatest merit.

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Since the mid-90s, with The Entertainers, Newcastle United did not create such enthusiasm or seem to be a serious contender for the title or at least for entering the Champions League (except for a fairly good season). That team had players of the quality of Faustino Asprilla, David Ginola, or Les Ferdinand and played very attractive football, in addition to finishing second in the Premier League.

Newcastle was in the hands of Mike Ashley from 2007 to 2021, a period that was not good for the club and in which they even had to play in the Championship. The club was seen more as a publicity opportunity for Ashley than as a sporting entity, something that ended up tiring fans. A Saudi investment fund called the Public Investment Fund, one of the largest in the world, decided to buy the club, surrounded by much controversy that delayed the operation for about a year.

Finally, in October 2021, the purchase was completed, which made Newcastle the football team with the most financial support in the world and this unleashed a huge amount of rumors in which there was talk of hiring the best players and coaches on the planet. The new investors took over the club in a period where the transfer market was closed, but they did make a move on the dugout that was the departure of Steve Bruce and his replacement, a couple of weeks later, with Eddie Howe, breaking a bit the rumors that spoke of world-class managers.

Howe had a great background with his excellent work at Bournemouth and a much less media profile than hiring Guardiola or Mourinho would have meant. In the January transfer market, many players were released and some were signed who would be key to Howe’s nascent project, such as Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes or Kieran Trippier, once again breaking with what was expected by the average media outles. They finished 11th that season and became the first team to avoid relegation after going winless in their first 14 league games.

Eddie Howe: “My long-term future is very much here at Newcastle. There’s no other thought in my mind” ⚪️⚫️ #NUFC

“For as long as I’m wanted, Newcastle is where I want to be. I’m hugely excited about next season and then hopefully beyond”. pic.twitter.com/5hqV4igs9M

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023

For the 2022-23 season, Howe’s project was continued and the team was wisely sought to reinforce, although making a considerable financial outlay, such as Alexander Isak, Sven Botman or Nick Pope. The start of the season was hesitant and worsened with Isak’s injury that kept him off the pitch for a couple of months. Starting in October, after beating Fulham 4-1 at Craven Cottage, the team began a positive trend that continued for much of the season, allowing them to establish themselves in third place in the Premier League for much of the competition and secure their place in the next UEFA Champions League.

The striking thing about the Newcastle case is that, despite having unprecedented financial support in football, I bet on a much more serious and planned project than other teams with similar investments, which has brought them considerably large and progressive improvement.

Newcastle All 68 Premier League Goals