sport news Newcastle will relish the return of Champions League football to St James' ... trends now
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For some it is the return to of Champions League football to St James’ Park for the first time in 20 years but for others it the ultimate Middle East geopolitical derby.
For romantics, it is Newcastle United taking on Paris St-Germain, Kylian Mbappe against Bruno Guimaraes.
But for those immersed in realpolitik, it is Saudi Arabia v Qatar, a rivalry that needs no stoking given that the larger of those Arabian kingdoms spent the best part of four years trying to grind Qatar into submission, cutting off diplomatic and trade relations.
On Wednesday night, St James’ Park plays host to one of the most-anticipated fixtures of the group stages and two of the most powerful men in the Middle East, representatives of their rulers, Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Bizarrely the enmity between the nations means you will not be able to watch the game legally anywhere in Saudi Arabia.
St James' Park will host a Champions League game for the first time in two decades on Wednesday
Kylian Mbappe's PSG face Newcastle in a match that could be billed as a Middle Eastern derby
In fact, no Newcastle games are broadcast in the Saudi state other than through pirates streams because beIN Sports, the Qatari-based broadcaster which owns all the rights, remains
