Newcastle set to escape punishment despite breaking UEFA rules with late arrival in Milan for Champions League tie… as storm delays their flight and Eddie Howe arrives two hours late for pre-match press conference

Eddie Howe has insisted the weather that delayed Newcastle’s arrival in Italy will not derail their Champions League adventure.

The club’s latest European mission hardly got off to the most promising start when, after being given special dispensation to train on Tyneside on Monday morning rather than at San Siro later in the day, they remained at the ground for more than two hours.

However, speaking at a press conference that eventually kicked off at around 9pm local time, having initially been scheduled for 7pm, Howe was adamant that this would not hamper preparations for a tough opening match with AC Milan.

He said: ‘It’s just an essential part of the work we do. It’s not unusual for that to happen. This was a weather issue, but we have experienced similar situations.

‘It is something we are used to, although it is a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. But that is not a problem.’

Howe and his players were due to leave Tyneside at around 2.30pm but eventually left closer to 5pm. As media gathered at the stadium to wait for 45-year-old and former Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, a plane tracking app appeared suggesting they were still somewhere above France.

Newcastle were due to leave Tyneside at around 2.30pm but eventually departed around 5pm

They finally reached the stadium around 9pm, where Article 73 of UEFA’s governing body regulations stated: ‘Press conferences must start between 12pm and 2000 local time. Any exceptions to these times must be agreed in advance with UEFA.’

However, a first offense will likely be met with a warning rather than a harsher penalty.

Had Newcastle arrived on time they would have done so in heavy rain as storm clouds gathered over the Italian city as a sultry day drew to a close.

Tuesday night’s match, which will be played 26 years and two days after the Magpies defeated Barcelona 3-2 in the same tournament, comes more than two decades after their last appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.

For Howe, it will be the first Champions League match he has attended and one he is relishing against a side who were defeated 5-1 by neighbors Inter on Saturday.

He said: ‘I’ve never been to one before. I’ve always been too busy working to take one home. But I didn’t think about that. It’s a football game.

‘Yes, it will be a very proud moment for me. I think it will be a very proud moment for everyone associated with Newcastle to be back in the Champions League after a long absence.

‘But it’s a football match and I think we should approach it that way. Yes, it is a special game and we have to be at our best. There are slight differences in where we have traveled, but the game will be the same and it will be very difficult.

The club’s last league match, a 2–0 home defeat to Barcelona in March 2003, saw the likes of Shay Given, Kieron Dyer and Alan Shearer take on Frank de Boer, Xavi and Patrick Kluivert.

Newcastle were given special dispensation to train on Tyneside on Monday morning

This time around, Tonali, who was a semi-finalist for Milan last season, will be part of a new generation trying to write a new chapter in the club’s history.

The Italy international said: “It will be the most exciting feeling to enter the stadium full of people again.

‘They let me realize my dream here at AC Milan, but now I’m coming back as a rival. I’ll have a lot of feelings tomorrow.

“Everything happened so quickly with the transfer, I was overwhelmed at first, but I’ve come across a great team, great staff and playing for people who love football. The people of Newcastle will help everyone.”