NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Fans of Newcastle were “indiscriminately assaulted” by French police following the Champions League game against Marseille, the Premier League club said Thursday.
Newcastle has formally raised concerns with UEFA, French police and Marseille for what it described as “unacceptable treatment.”
Marseille won the game 2-1 at the Velodrome on Tuesday. Newcastle said its fans were made to wait at the stadium for up to an hour after the final whistle. They were allowed to leave 500 at a time and police then escorted them to the Metro station.
“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,” Newcastle said in a statement. “This was actioned through a combination of pepper spray, batons and shields, with numerous supporters being indiscriminately assaulted by the police.”
The club said it was calling on UEFA and Marseille to investigate and is liaising with UK police to gather evidence.
“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,” it said.
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The Associated Press
