NEWCASTLE qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after a 0-0 draw against relegation-haunted Leicester on Monday.
Newcastle United’s teammates celebrate at the end of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Leicester at St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on May 22, 2023.
Howe and his players embarked on a lengthy lap of honour after the final whistle as they soaked up the acclaim from the Toon Army.
Newcastle’s remarkable rise from relegation candidates to a top four finish in the Premier League in just 18 months is a tribute to Howe’s management and financial might of the club’s Saudi-backed ownership group.
The Magpies also reached the first domestic final since 1999 this season, losing to Manchester United in the League Cup.
After two decades in Premier League purgatory since Bobby Robson last led Newcastle into the Champions League, the Magpies will believe they can maintain their transformation into trophy contenders now they are back among Europe’s heavyweights.
Just seven years after their fairytale Premier League title triumph, Leicester are on the verge of being relegated from the top-flight for the 12th time in their history.
Newcastle United’s English head coach Eddie Howe celebrates at the end of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Leicester at St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on May 22, 2023.
That would equal the English record held by Birmingham, sending them back to the Championship for the first time since 2014.