When were Newcastle last in the Champions League?
When did Newcastle United last participate in the Champions League?
Before securing their spot in the 2023-24 Champions League, the most recent instance of Newcastle United's participation in the Champions League was during the 2003-04 season. However, they did not progress to the group stage on that occasion as they were eliminated in the third qualifying round by Partizan Belgrade.
Their last appearance in the Champions League group stage dates back to the 2002-03 season. Following their victory in the third qualifying round against Zeljeznicar, they found themselves in a group alongside Juventus, Dynamo Kiev, and Feyenoord.
Despite losing their first three matches, Newcastle remarkably rebounded, winning their next three games, including a thrilling late triumph over Feyenoord in Rotterdam. During that era, the Champions League had two group stages, and Newcastle advanced to the second group stage, where they encountered Barcelona, Inter, and Bayer Leverkusen. Unfortunately, they were eliminated at this stage, with victories only against Leverkusen and a draw against Inter at San Siro.
While Newcastle had a lengthy two-decade gap from Champions League football, their last involvement in European competitions in general occurred in the 2012-13 Europa League, where they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Benfica. Before that, they participated in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, progressing to the round of 16 before being knocked out by AZ.
How many times has Newcastle United participated in European competitions?
Newcastle United's European journey began with their victory in the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the 1968/69 season, and they have been part of European competition for a total of 16 different seasons.
They made two prior appearances in the Champions League before their exit against Partizan, with their most notable run being in the 2002/03 season when they reached the second group stage under the old competition format.
In the 1997/98 season, they earned their place in the competition proper by winning a qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb. However, they didn't advance to the knockout phase. Notably, that campaign featured a memorable opening group-stage match where they defeated Barcelona 3-2 at home, courtesy of a 28-minute hat-trick from the flamboyant Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla.
Newcastle's deepest venture in the UEFA Europa League, the second-tier competition, occurred in 2004 when they were eliminated by Marseille in the semifinals. This followed their transfer from the Champions League after their setback against Partizan.
Their most recent European campaign saw them exit the Europa League in the quarterfinals at the hands of Benfica in the 2013/14 season.
Newcastle United's European Record
During their run to the Europa League final eight in 2014, the Toon Army impressively lost only two out of 14 matches, enhancing their overall European record. Newcastle has secured more than twice as many victories as defeats in European competitions, and they are on the brink of achieving a positive goal difference of over 100 in their next appearance in a group stage.
| Competition | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions League | 24 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 45.83 |
| Europa League | 72 | 43 | 17 | 12 | 123 | 60 | 59.72 |
| Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 50 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 37 | 21 | 54.17 |
| Intertoto Cup | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 13 | 58.33 |
| Total | 134 | 74 | 29 | 31 | 221 | 129 | 55.22 |
