Newcastle United’s European dream is over.
AC Milan’s comeback win on Wednesday night not only knocked Newcastle out of the Champions League but also ended any hope of them falling into the Europa League.
It was a rather disappointing end to a campaign that offered so much hope at times.
The thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain was one of the most famous nights the club have ever had, while there was a brief five-minute spell on Wednesday when Newcastle were through to the knockouts at the expense of the French giants.
Indeed, the only genuine disappointments really are the performance away at Borussia Dortmund and the manner in which Milan caught them on the break on Wednesday.
In a particularly difficult group, there is little doubt Newcastle have done themselves and their fans proud. That, however, matters little in a competition as ruthless as this and they finish bottom.
As ever, Alan Shearer summed everything perfectly.
What Alan Shearer has now said about Newcastle’s Champions League campaign
Indeed, taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shearer wrote: “So near, yet so far.”
It has been a campaign full of promising signs but yet the team are bottom of their group. No phrase sums it up better.
Newcastle in the Champions League: Next time will surely be better
Whether Newcastle qualify for next season’s Champions League remains to be seen but it is hard to imagine it being too long before they are mixing it with the very best again. Unlike in years gone by, there is a real future for the club at the top level.
PIF simply have too much ambition, as well as commitment to strengthen the squad.
When – and it surely is a ‘when’ instead of an ‘if’ – they are back there, this journey will have helped.
The club are now used to these big nights again and the bulk of the squad is surely young enough to have gained huge experience from the campaign just gone.
Hopefully, many of them are still here to go through it all again.
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