Dortmund and Newcastle match encountered unexpected incident due to fans protesting UEFA
The Dortmund vs Newcastle match encountered an unexpected incident when home fans threw fake money and fake gold all over the field to protest UEFA.
Dortmund fans throw fake money and gold onto the field to protest UEFA
Dortmund fans threw objects onto the pitch in protest at UEFA's changes to the Champions League next season. The match was stopped at half-time to clear away fake gold bars, tennis balls and bags of fake money, but when the match resumed, they were still strewn across the pitch.
It is no coincidence that fans decided to hold a protest against Newcastle, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
'You don't care about sport - all you care about is money,' read a slogan on the fans' stands. Fans also posted a link to a campaign website protesting the Champions League changes. Players worked to clear the pitch from the pitch to the centre circle.
Dortmund fans 'boycotted' Qatar 2022 during the match with Man City
Dortmund fans have been vocal about issues affecting football in the past. Last October, fans held up a banner reading 'Boycott Qatar 2022' before the game against Man City.
Their latest protest, this time against UEFA, appears to be concerned about the new Champions League format that will come into effect next season. The group stage will be expanded from 32 to 36 teams and looks set to benefit the larger footballing nations overall – the Premier League could be given a fifth qualifying spot.
Instead of eight groups of four teams, there will now be a tournament of 36 teams. Each team will play 10 other teams in their matches, with five teams at home and the remaining five away. From there, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the round of 16. The teams ranked 9th to 24th will then compete in a two-legged play-off to qualify for the round of 16./.