Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has called Newcastle United supporters ‘true football fans’ after being impressed by the atmosphere at St James’ Park.
It was an electric atmosphere at St James’ Park for the first match of Newcastle’s Champions League campaign but two excellent second-half goals from Marcus Rashford handed Barcelona a deserved lead.
Anthony Gordon pulled a goal back for Newcastle in the 90th minute but Barcelona were able to see out the game with their superior quality in possession.
De Jong was at the heart of Barcelona’s dominant midfield display and the Netherlands international admits he was blown away by his first game at Newcastle.
‘I’d heard a lot about it from the guys on the Dutch national team who play in the Premier League,’ De Jong told Ziggo Sport.
‘The atmosphere was incredible, truly beautiful. They’re true football fans. They react to football moments and showed so much emotion. That was great to see.’
De Jong also praised Eddie Howe’s side for their approach to the match as they attempted to press Barcelona at every opportunity.
‘You knew beforehand it was going to be a great game,’ De Jong said.
‘They want to press high, and we always want to play football and attack. They don’t hide either. I think it was really fun to watch.
‘If we had played it a bit better around the opposition box, we might have created more chances. We won 2-1, and we’re happy with that.’
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