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Magpies close to unlocking chief's European target

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date18 April 2024
Publication titleEvening Chronicle
AC Milan - the team that eliminated Newcastle from Europe this season - have 90 minutes to try to turn around a 1-0 deficit against AS Roma tonight as they bid for the semi-finals of the Europa League

And while the "Group of Death" well and truly lived up to its name for United, the truth is they did not disgrace themselves in their first taste of Europe for a decade, in fact they were desperately unlucky to go out after a dodgy penalty award in Paris cost them dear.

In a strange way, watching both PSG and Borussia Dortmund go through against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively offered both a reminder of how well Newcastle had equipped themselves to take it to the last few minutes of the group stages and a suggestion that Eddie Howe's team are not too far away from competing at the top level in continental competition.

The Magpies, with key stars back from injuries, are showing that two or three good summer signings can give Howe's side a different dimension. When Howe's team slumped to 10th place in the Premier League only last month, there was no panic in the boardroom about the head coach.

However, one thing behind the scenes that has been consistent since the turn of the year has been the requirement for Newcastle to earn a place in Europe. In years gone by, the Europa League has often been looked at as a bit of grind while many sceptics saw the Europa Conference League as an even bigger threat to the domestic programme.

Yet the sight of Jose Mourinho proudly holding the Conference League trophy in its first year and then West Ham's glorious trophy lift last May has altered perceptions of the competition for the better. In the eyes of Newcastle's CCO Peter Silverstone and CEO Darren Eales, getting into Europe is a must because of the prize money it yields.

Eales spoke about the importance of netting extra money for FFP this season and said: "We grew...

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