Eddie Howe has urged his players to become Newcastle legends by recreating the club’s famous 1997 Champions League victory over Barcelona when they played the Spanish giants in the last-16 first leg.
Newcastle host the La Liga leaders on Tuesday in a potentially life-changing moment for Howe’s side.
Fans still talk reverently about Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick and Keith Gillespie’s brilliant performance in the Magpies’ 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League group stages 29 years ago.
Howe, who started his playing career at Bournemouth, watched that remarkable match on television as a teenager.
Now Howe and company have the chance to etch their own names in the annals of Newcastle history by beating Hansi Flick’s star-studded team.
«Yes, I saw the match. I was very focused on my playing career. But you couldn’t skip that moment. It was one of those legendary matches,» Howe told reporters on Monday.
“Of course we want people to talk about this team for years to come. Tino Asprilla gets a hat-trick from those Keith Gillespie deliveries down the right.
«I would like to see our players being talked about in the same way in 20 to 30 years.»
Newcastle have reached the Champions League final for only the second time.
Howe is well aware of the magnitude of the achievement after arriving at Newcastle in 2021 with the club in disarray.
Together with the financial strength of Newcastle’s Saudi owners, Howe has transformed the club from a laughing stock.
‘A moment we can seize’
Newcastle won its first trophy in 56 years when they shocked Liverpool in the League Cup final last season.
Beating Barcelona would be an even bigger achievement for Howe, who urged his players to seize this unique opportunity.
«There are only sixteen teams left and we are one of them. It’s a great opportunity to seize a moment that we may never get again. You don’t know what life will bring tomorrow, let alone the next few seasons,» Howe said.
“We don’t want to kick ourselves, we don’t want to waste the opportunity and think about what if.
“So this is a moment we have to seize. In my time here, just over four years, we have worked to get to this point.
“As long as we perform to the maximum, we must accept the result.” rfv10.
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Howe has labeled the match against Barcelona as the biggest game in Newcastle’s history and said adopting an underdog mentality could stun the five-time European champions.
“That’s exactly the mentality we need, rising to the occasion and embracing the magnitude of the game,” he said.
“The underdog role in my time here has helped us to some extent in my time here when we were in a situation where we felt the odds were against us.
“We will have to use every psychological tool because there is no denying that we are playing against a very good team, an exceptionally well-coached team.
“All our Champions League games have been a great rehearsal for this moment.”
Newcastle have already played Barca this season, losing 2-1 at home in the group stage thanks to a Marcus Rashford double.
“When you play against the very best teams, you take a lot of that with you into the future,” Howe said.
«We can take a lot from the performance. Hopefully we can learn lessons from that draw.»
Published on March 9, 2026
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