Eddie Howe ‘couldn’t be prouder’ despite Newcastle United’s UEFA Champions League exit - ‘Absolutely devastated’

Eddie Howe admitted that he was “absolutely devastated” following Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to AC Milan, which saw the Magpies eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and European competition altogether.

Although they flirted with the qualification spots during a climactic final matchday - and were at one point second in Group F - goals from Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze helped overturn Joelinton’s opener as Howe’s side finished bottom.

Speaking after the match, the Newcastle boss admitted he was distraught to drop out of the competition but “couldn’t be prouder” than his players.

“I think we gave everything to the match,” Howe told TNT Sports. “I don’t think I could ask any more of the players' commitment, effort, physical exertion.

“Unfortunately for us, it wasn’t to be today. I thought there were some really good bits in our performance, I thought we were dominant at times. We probably needed the second goal, we didn’t defend the two goals well enough.”

After Joelinton opened the scoring with an emphatic strike in the first half, Pulisic equalised on the hour mark which blew the game wide open with over 30 minutes to play.

Howe recognised that Newcastle didn’t have the game under control, but felt that was the nature of the tie with both teams fighting to keep their European campaigns alive.

“It was very much end-to-end, it was like you attack, we attack,” he said. “Both teams were desperate to win and we very much embraced that.

“We wanted to win the game and we were trying to head for the Champions League. We had to be brave, they had to be brave. It made for a very good game.

“Probably not our best technical performance, that was probably the disappointing thing on the night, but we did create chances and we’re absolutely devastated not to go through.”

The English manager was also quizzed on the highly controversial decision to award Paris Saint-Germain a penalty in the dying moments of Newcastle’s draw at Parc Des Princes in their last game, which dented the Magpie’s chances of qualification.

“It would be foolish of me to look back at that moment now and start bringing up old stuff,” he answered honestly. “We had the opportunity tonight to do what we needed to do and we didn’t take it, but it’s not through a lack of effort.

“We’ve got a very stretched squad, those players are going again and again. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve given me physically and mentally. I do think we’ve left everything on the pitch, I don’t think we can have any regrets.

“But of course, we’ll learn from it and we’ll try and absorb all the things we need to take into our Premier League form.”

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