Why Borussia Dortmund fans threw fake gold and money onto pitch against Newcastle | OneFootball

Highlights

The Champions League encounter between Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United was brought to a halt as fans of the former threw gold bars, money bags and tennis balls onto the pitch as the German side, led by Edin Terzić, led 1–0 thanks to a goal from Niclas Fullkrug. Just two minutes after the players had emerged from the tunnels to kick off the second half of the continental affair,the home supporters threw said items onto the Signal Iduna Park turf.

The widespread belief is that the protests are targeted towards UEFA for the impending alterations that are to be made to the Champions League format next season. Drastic changes are going to be made to the current model, taking the number of participating clubs from 32 to 36, while the number of games will increase from 125 to 189. More commonly known as the ‘Swiss Model’, all clubs will be placed in the same table and will compete in eight group stage matches – which is double the number of what all teams are expected to play in this season’s edition of football’s most prestigious club competition.

The biggest problem? It seems it is all about money for Čeferin and his entourage. Of course, UEFA make an eye-watering amount of cash on a yearly basis already (€3.5 billion) but are willing to make further alterations in order to earn that little bit more. An increase in matches coupled with Europe’s top clubs having more of a chance of being involved means that more eyes will be on the contests – all the way from group stage affairs up until the final – and that equates into a bigger financial gain for the UEFA’s higher-ups. You can read a full explainer regarding the chances to the sport’s coveted club competition in full below.

Dortmund fans protest brought play to a standstill

As well as throwing objects onto the pitch, the famous Yellow Wall unveiled a banner which read, “You don’t care about the sport – all you care about is money!” A link to the campaign - called Reclaim The Game - was also on full display, allowing those watching at home to visit the site and read more about the issues. Several players attempted to clear the pitch so that play could resume, though the turf was still quite clearly littered with thrown objects for the rest of the second half as a litany of debris stretched from the edge of the box almost up to the half-way line.

Newcastle suffer 2-0 defeat to Dortmund

Play eventually resumed following the short hiatus from play courtesy of the protests, led by the Dortmund faithful. Eddie Howe’s side were chasing the game thanks to Fullkrug’s 26th-minute strike, assisted by former Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. A triumvirate of second-half substitutions from the English tactician was not enough to turn the contest on its head and Dortmund and Germany superstar Julian Brandt then doubled the hosts’ cushion 11 minutes shy of the 90-minute mark.

Howe’s well-drilled Tyneside outfit now find themselves in a sticky situation: three points off Dortmund, a myriad of injuries to fret about, and the small matter of AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain just around the corner. Their progression from Group F after returning to Europe’s table after a two-decade wait looks increasingly unlikely now.