- The Magpies are playing their first Champions League home game in thirty years
- Rehearsals were held during which various images were taken by the Sela drones
- click here to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’
A drone show took place at St James’ Park ahead of Newcastle’s match against PSG on Wednesday evening.
The match marks the return of Champions League football for the first time in more than two decades, with the Magpies playing their first home game in this year’s competition.
They started their European campaign a fortnight ago with a 0-0 draw against AC Milan, last season’s losing semi-finalists, at San Siro and may face an even tougher test this week.
Although PSG have yet to achieve major success in European football and have not yet won the Champions League, they will arrive with an expensive squad, including Kylian Mbappe, after a 2-0 win in their first group match.
But they and fans in the area were welcomed ahead of Wednesday’s match by a drone show from sponsor Sela, featuring the logo, player shirts including Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier and the Magpies badge.
Newcastle held a drone show over St James’ Park ahead of their Champions League match against PSG
During the drone show, the shirts of several players were illuminated, including Bruno Guimaeres, as well as a magpie
Newcastle started its Champions League season two weeks ago with a 0-0 draw at San Siro against AC Milan
Some supporters may have already caught a glimpse of what was to come in the show, with 500 drones visible in the sky above the ground on Sunday evening.
They spelled out the words ‘we’re back’ and also formed the image of a Newcastle shirt, with two more shows on Monday night.
It seemed clear that they were simply run through prior to the main event, and that was the case when the main event was on display for all to see in the evening.
“We wanted to create a little surprise for the fans to celebrate the return of the biggest nights of European football to St James’ Park,” said Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President of Sela.
“The fans, the club and the players deserve these special moments and I hope we have contributed to what will be an unforgettable event for everyone who loves Newcastle United and this city.
“Creating spectacular experiences is at the heart of what Sela does every day as a company and we look forward to contributing to even more memories over the course of this important season.”
Magpies manager Eddie Howe has said he is looking forward to the atmosphere at Wednesday’s match
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted he is looking forward to the atmosphere on the pitch.
“We are determined to do well, and one thing I am absolutely certain of is that the atmosphere will be as good as I have ever experienced here,” he said.
‘I know the supporters will be behind us and what we do next will depend on what happens next.
‘We are really looking forward to it, we look forward to the challenge it brings. It will be an extreme test, but one we cannot wait for.’
