Newcastle qualifies for Champions League for first time in 20 years

By The Associated Press
Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan on the pitch at half-time during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Monday, May 22, 2023. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Owen Humphreys]

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Newcastle has qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after drawing with Leicester 0-0 in the English Premier League. It’s a milestone moment for a Saudi-controlled club with the resources and ambition to become a major force in European soccer. The point ensures Newcastle cannot be denied a top-four finish heading into its final game of the season at Chelsea on Sunday. Leicester’s campaign-closing game has far more riding on it. The team is still in the relegation zone and needs a win at home to West Ham to avoid falling into the second-tier Championship seven years after winning the Premier League.

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