Saudi-backed Newcastle is back in the Champions League, what it does next could be thrilling

By JAMES ROBSON 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]

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Newcastle United is back in the Champions League and ready to rub shoulders with European soccer’s elite once more. It is precisely what many observers predicted when the down on its luck Premier League team was bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in Oct. 2021. What it does next could make for fascinating viewing now that the club has been given the platform to challenge for the sport’s biggest prizes sooner than expected. A return to the Champions League after a 20-year wait paves the way for Newcastle to compete for the world’s top players. The likes of Harry Kane and Neymar could suddenly be on its radar.

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