Authorities have verified the arrest of five individuals following a security incident at St James’ Park during Newcastle’s match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
The arrestees, a group of teenagers, were apprehended on October 25 on burglary charges after being confronted by stadium staff.
They were subsequently released without any charges.
A representative from Northumbria Police stated that during the Champions League fixture between Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund, five young males were taken into custody at St James’ Park under the suspicion of burglary.
“All five males, who were aged between 16 and 18, were released from custody and will face no further action.”
Newcastle United, participating in the top tier of European football for the first time in two decades, and having been defeated 1-0 in the match due to a goal by Felix Nmecha in the first half, has yet to state the incident.
Last September, Newcastle unintentionally violated UEFA’s Champions League protocols when their trip to Milan faced a delay exceeding two hours due to an Italian storm.
Manager Eddie Howe’s team departed from Newcastle 140 minutes later than scheduled for their journey to northern Italy.
According to UEFA’s regulations, teams must conduct their pre-game press briefings between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time the day preceding the game.
A storm hit Milan around 5 p.m. shortly after Newcastle’s departure, although it’s unclear if this was the direct cause of the hold-up.
Upon reaching San Siro, Howe cited the weather as the cause of their delay, noting they remained on the tarmac for almost two hours before ascending.
