Borussia Dortmund delivered a blow to Newcastle United on the pitch on Tuesday, while insulting them further from the stands.
Goals from Niklas Fullkrug and Julian Brandt either side of half-time secured a 2-0 win for the German side, and the result leaves Newcastle in a precarious position in their Champions League group.
Eddie Howe's men have now lost in both group meetings between the two clubs, and the Dortmund's famous Yellow Wall further shredded the dignity of the Newcastle's Saudi ownership by unveiling a banner with a strong message for them and for others who are being seen as putting money before the good of the game.
Dortmund fans unveil banner
"You don’t care about the sport - all you care about is money!" screamed the banner that was spread across the entire stand, while another flag featuring the images of Juventus boss Andrea Agnelli, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was held up by supporters.
A link to a campaign website against Champions League reforms was also unveiled, while gold bars and fake bank notes were thrown onto the field, leaving Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and some other players having to clear up the debris.
“You don’t care about the sport - all you care about is money!” Message from the Dortmund Südtribüne at the start of the second half against Newcastle. And a big no to the Champions League Reform, with a link to the campaign website. pic.twitter.com/brzRzfjxct
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) November 7, 2023
Newcastle's Saudi ownership
While Newcastle's owners weren't addressed directly, it's no coincidence that the presence of the Saudi-owned club prompted Dortmund's demonstration.
Along with changes to the Champions League, Dortmund fans and the wider football public are also unhappy with the seemingly uncontested awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, fresh off the back of the controversial 2022 edition in Qatar.
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