"Newcastle fans are travelling to Marseille with a soundtrack of uncertainty echoing in their ears. Quite apart from the official warnings about rampant pickpocketing, street crime and potential footballrelated violence, their phones seem full of concerned messages from families and friends. Those oft-repeated exhortations to variously take care, watch yourself and stay safe in a city listed regularly among Europe's most dangerous could, in a different context, easily apply to Eddie Howe's team."
"If the Marseille manager, Roberto De Zerbi, once of Brighton, needs no introduction, nor does Mason Greenwood. The former Manchester United and England forward departed the UK last year under a welldocumented cloud. He had faced charges, which he denied, of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February 2023 that the case had been discontinued. Greenwood is Ligue 1's leading scorer in an attack also featuring the Arsenal old boy PierreEmerick Aubameyang."
Newcastle fans traveled to Marseille amidst warnings of rampant pickpocketing, street crime and potential football-related violence, and received concerned messages from family and friends. Newcastle arrived after a 2-1 home Premier League win over Manchester City and recent Champions League victories over Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao. The team's only away victory since early April was in Brussels. Eddie Howe downplayed psychological travel issues, noting Champions League fixtures differ from Premier League games. Newcastle sit sixth in the European table with nine points, close to automatic knockout qualification. Marseille features Mason Greenwood, Ligue 1's leading scorer, alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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