Lost in France | OneFootball

Maybe we should have suspected that all might not go well, when Newcastle United travelled to France this week.

History wasn’t on our side.

Checking back, it turns out I was at Newcastle United’s first ever European home game against a team from France.

I remember clearly Holland star Johnny Rep scoring an absolute worldie at St James’ Park for Bastia under the floodlights.

I knew that Rep scored a couple back in November 1977, ‘just’ over 48 years ago before playing Marseille this week.

However, I would never have guessed who scored the other goal in Bastia’s 3-1 victory at St James’ Park, turns out it was De Zerbi!

Not sure if any relation to Roberto…but a 17 year old Jean-Marie de Zerbi scored for Bastia that night, Alan Gowling with the goal for Newcastle.

I was only a young teenager back then and so no chance to go to the first leg in Bastia. Our first ever European away game in France and it ended in a 2-1 defeat, Paul Cannell got our goal  and Papi scored their two.

When I started writing this article, I couldn’t get the song ‘Lost in France’  out of my head. One of those moments where you think ‘how long ago???’ as it turns out this Bonnie Tyler single was released in 1976. 49 years ago!!!

As Newcastle United fans we have obviously experienced many times a ‘Total eclipse of the heart’ (ask your dad/grandad).

Anyway, this is the now updated list of trips to France in European competitions for Newcastle United…

1977/78 Bastia 2 Newcastle 1 (UEFA Cup) 1996/97 Metz 1 Newcastle 1 (UEFA Cup) 1996/97 Monaco 3 Newcastle 0 (UEFA Cup) 2001/02 Troyes 0 Newcastle 0 (Intertoto) 2003/04 Marseille 2 Newcastle 0 (UEFA Cup) 2004/05 Sochaux 0 Newcastle 4 (UEFA Cup) 2012/13 Bordeaux 2 Newcastle 0 (Europa League) 2023/24 PSG 1 Newcastle 1 (Champions League) 2025/26 Marseille 2 Newcastle 1 (Champions League)

So Newcastle United in France, the record is now Played 9 Won 1 Drawn 3 Lost 5

Checking back, it turns out that Bastia got to the UEFA Cup final in that 1988/78 season.

I had also forgotten that back then it was a two legged final in the UEFA Cup (now Europa League, kind of previously the Fairs Cup). Bastia drew 0-0 in the home leg but lost 3-0 away to PSV Eindhoven, who are Newcastle’s next home Champions League opponents.

Jean-Marie de Zerbi appeared in that 1978 UEFA Cup final and at 18 years five months is the youngest ever French player to appear in a UEFA Cup/Europa League final.