Eddie Howe downplayed Newcastle’s delayed arrival in Milan, even though the club unintentionally violated UEFA rules.
The Newcastle manager was originally set to hold a pre-match press conference at 7 p.m. local time on Monday ahead of their Champions League debut against AC Milan.
However, the press conference was postponed and eventually took place at 9 p.m. at the San Siro stadium.
Just before Newcastle’s scheduled flight to Italy was supposed to depart at 5 p.m., a sudden storm hit Milan, leading to the flight’s delay.
Upon arriving at San Siro, Howe told reporters: “It’s just part and parcel of the job that we do. It’s not out of the normal that that can happen.
This was a weather problem, but we’ve been in similar situations. It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal, though.”
After an absence of two decades, Newcastle United is making a comeback in the Champions League. Their opening match is set to take place on Tuesday, when they will go up against AC Milan. Additionally, Newcastle finds themselves in a group that includes Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.