Dortmund fans threw money and fake gold bars onto the pitch in a mockery of the European Football Association, UEFA, when their team defeated Newcastle 2-0 in the fourth match of Group F in the Champions League.
In the early stages of the second half, a section of the Signal Iduna Park stands revealed two banners. One displayed opposition to the new format of the Champions League set to begin in the 2024-2025 season. Below it was a message that read, “You don’t care about this sport; you only care about money.”
By the 48th minute, Dortmund fans threw money and numerous fake gold bars onto the pitch, numbering in the hundreds. The match had to be delayed for over a minute to clear these objects, after which the referee allowed the game to resume. However, there were so many fake banknotes scattered across the pitch that they continued to appear throughout the match.
UEFA’s official website, while reporting on the match, made no mention of the banners or the unusual actions of the Dortmund fans.
The changes in the Champions League format for 2024-2025 include the addition of four more spots, increasing the number of participating teams to 36. This change also resulted in a significant increase in the number of matches, rising from 125 to 189 games, a 51% increase. These changes are intended to generate more revenue for UEFA and provide higher financial rewards to the participating teams, but they also mean that players will have to compete in more matches.
On TNT Sports and The Guardian, British commentators suggested that Dortmund fans may have targeted Newcastle’s ownership with their message. Newcastle is currently the world’s richest club, owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), with assets exceeding $400 billion.
Signal Iduna Park has a seating capacity of over 81,000 spectators and is regularly packed for Dortmund’s matches. The club’s fans are known for their passion, with over 20,000 standing and cheering throughout each game. Dortmund’s ownership is 100% held by official club members.
The passionate support from Dortmund’s fans paid off as they defeated Newcastle 2-0, thanks to goals from forward Niclas Fullkrug and midfielder Julian Brandt. The result brought Dortmund closer to advancing with seven points, while Newcastle faces the risk of elimination with only four points.
Due to the head-to-head results in the group stage being the first tiebreaker in case of teams having the same number of points, Dortmund has a significant advantage over Newcastle. In their two encounters with the English club, Dortmund emerged victorious. Barring any significant surprises, Dortmund is likely to advance alongside PSG from this challenging group.
In the final two matches, Dortmund will travel to Milan and host PSG, while Newcastle will face Paris as visitors and then welcome Milan at St James Park.
