Alan Shearer Explains Why He’ll Miss Newcastle’s Champions League Clash with Barcelona.
Newcastle return to the bright lights of the Champions League on Thursday, but don’t expect to see Alan Shearer at St. James’ Park.
Due to a scheduling conflict, a gutted Shearer will instead be thousands of feet up in the sky when Eddie Howe’s side take on Spanish giants Barcelona.
Why will Shearer miss Newcastle’s Champions League opener?
“Can you believe it,” Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“The fan fest that the Premier League do in the United States, this has been arranged for such a long time.
“I am going to Kansas and my flight’s on Thursday. Can you believe that?
“I’m going to miss the game. I can’t believe it. Nightmare for me, unfortunately.”
Shearer’s presence will be sorely missed given he has been there for some of Newcastle’s finest hours in recent seasons.
The Toon legend was on hand at Wembley to watch his former club end their 70-year trophy drought with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last March.
Shearer was also present to witness the Magpies thump Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 in October 2023.
How did Newcastle qualify for the Champions League?
Thursday marks Newcastle’s first game in the Champions League after a season away having finished fifth in the Premier League last term.
Toon fans were made to sweat on the final day due to a 1-0 loss to Everton, which left them vulnerable to drop out of the top five.
However, Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United ensured Newcastle would finish in the qualifying spots for the Champions League.
How did Newcastle perform when they were last in the Champions League?
This season also marks the first time Howe’s side have competed in the new-look format of the Champions League, with the group stage replaced by the league phase.
In the 2023/24 season, Newcastle were drawn in a group with PSG, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
Despite a draw and win against Milan and PSG respectively from their opening two fixtures, Newcastle lost three of their next four Champions League matches.
It meant they ultimately finished dead-last in their group with five points, three behind third-placed Milan.
Additionally, Howe’s side scored only two goals and conceded six outside of the 4-1 thrashing of PSG as they endured a brutal reality check of what it’s like competing among Europe’s elite.
But the Magpies will no doubt be stronger for the experience and will get eight games instead of six to prove they belong at that level.