"This is the most important match in the club's history" - Eddie Howe admits Barcelona clash will be the biggest of his career

Her Majesty – the Champions League – is renowned for delivering top-tier matches that forever become part of football’s golden collection.

Details: At today’s press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League Round of 16 showdown against Catalan giants Barcelona, Newcastle’s 48-year-old head coach Eddie Howe admitted that his team has never before played on such a grand stage.

• Also read: FA Cup: West Ham vs Brentford: Prediction, H2H and probable lineups — March 9, 2026

According to Howe, tomorrow’s fixture will be the most significant in Newcastle’s modern era:

"Very soon, we’ll be playing the most important match in the club’s history. We have to prepare the players for this occasion.

We’ve never found ourselves in this situation in the Champions League before. And this is the greatest competition there is, so for obvious reasons, I believe this is the most crucial match in our history – and we have to approach it that way, and our fans should feel the same.

We need to find the energy somewhere that will elevate our game to a level we haven’t reached this season, because in my view, that’s the only way we can progress further." Howe confessed.

Newcastle have already faced Barcelona earlier this season in the first round of the Champions League group stage. On that occasion, the Magpies narrowly lost 1-2 at home to the Galácticos.

Reminder: Newcastle vs Barcelona: kick-off time, how to watch, live stream - March 10, 2026