Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Amanda Staveley has confirmed a Newcastle United reunion at the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Newcastle face Liverpool at Wembley Stadium (4:30pm kick-off) in what will be the club’s second Carabao Cup final in three seasons. They face a tough task against runaway Premier League leaders and Carabao Cup holders Liverpool, who recently claimed a 2-0 win against Eddie Howe’s side at Anfield.
But Staveley will be back watching Newcastle in person for the first time since her departure from the club last July. The former Magpies co-owner has confirmed that she will be at Wembley Stadium, along with her son and husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, on Sunday.
Staveley played a key role in the high-profile takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund for around £300million in October 2021. As a result of her role in brokering the deal, Staveley’s company was handed a 10% stake in the club.
Staveley and Ghodoussi’s day-to-day involvement at Newcastle saw the appointment of Eddie Howe as head coach before a strong January transfer window that helped steer the club away from relegation danger and up to 11th in the table. In the club’s first full season under new ownership, it finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League while also reaching the Carabao Cup final.
The Magpies were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United two years ago at Wembley and will be hoping to go one better this time around as the club looks to end its 70-year domestic trophy drought.
Amanda Staveley confirms Newcastle United reunion in Carabao Cup final
Staveley was up in Newcastle last week to attend an event celebrating International Women’s Day at Newcastle Civic Centre.
On Sunday’s match, Staveley told ITV: “I'll be there at Wembley with [my son] Alexander, Mehrdad and all our family.
“And we're just so proud of everybody. And we're so excited also for the fans to have this because it's the most incredible day.
“I do feel a bit like a mum, a very proud mum. So I'll be very nervous. And I just, I don't want to embarrass myself. I did last year, I cried a lot. But it's the most remarkable privilege for me to be there with the fans. So I'm looking forward to celebrating as a fan.”
Newcastle head into the final as clear underdogs having lost key players such as Lewis Hall and Sven Botman to injury as well as Anthony Gordon to suspension. The Magpies also haven’t beaten Liverpool in almost 10 years, but Staveley is full of belief that Howe’s side can get the job done this weekend.
“I'm really confident that we'll get the win,” she added. “I know Eddie and I know the whole team and city are focused on this match. It means the world to everybody.
“I don't want to give any predictions because I don't want to jinx anything. But, I know how much this trophy means to everybody.
“Whatever the result it will be an incredible achievement because getting to two finals in such a short space of time is a testament to all the hard work that the shareholders, PIF, the Reuben family, have put into the club. And it couldn’t happen without the amazing Newcastle community.
“I always feel Newcastle is home, it will always be home. I feel so welcome every time I’m here. It is a privilege for me to work and be among these incredible.
“Newcastle is in my heart, very much part of my soul and my DNA. And coming up here this morning, I woke up and thought, ‘Oh, I'm in Newcastle again’ and it feels so special.”
Amanda Staveley’s Newcastle United vow after Carabao Cup final defeat in 2023
After the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the 2023 Carabao Cup final, Staveley went on talkSPORT to deliver a determined message that success would come to Newcastle.
“I was so proud of all of the fans,” she said. “Everybody. I was crying, my son was crying, we’re all crying. But it was amazing, at 2-0 down, we had flags going. The passion from everyone, they’ve all taken us on this journey.
“We will win the Carabao Cup. We will win the FA Cup. We will win the Champions League. We will win the Premier League."
Let’s hope she’s right - starting on Sunday!
Your next Newcastle United read: Newcastle United injury list ahead of the Carabao Cup final & West Ham