Newcastle United star Fabian Schär has joked that he and his teammates will likely be able to live in the city for free if they can beat Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday.
The defender has been speaking to Blick about the weekend’s big fixture and Newcastle’s chance to win their first trophy in 70 years.
The Magpies’ have one of the longest trophy droughts in English football, with their last trophy was in 1969 when they would the old Fairs Cup, while the 1955 FA Cup success was their last domestic trophy.
They have an opportunity to end that this weekend when they take on Liverpool at Wembley after a run that’s seen them beat Nottingham Forest, Wimbledon, Chelsea, Brentford and Arsenal to make it to Sunday’s showpiece.
It’s a huge moment for the club and Schär believes it could set them up for life in Newcastle if they can see off Arne Slot’s side.
“An outsider can hardly comprehend what a victory would mean for this city,” he said.
“My greatest wish of all would be to win a trophy with Newcastle. If we could do that, we could probably live for free in the City for the rest of our lives (laughs). Nothing would be better than to present our supporters with such a triumph.”
It’s not the first time Eddie Howe and this squad have found themselves in this final, having also reached the same stage in 2023.
That saw them taking on Manchester United but ended in heartbreak at goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford secured a 2-0 win for Erik ten Hag’s side.
That game was a flat one for the Magpies, who appeared to let the emotion of the occasion ultimately take over, failing to translate that onto the pitch.
That is something they are keen to avoid happening this time around and Schär admits they’ve worked on that, as well as him personally ensuring he’s at top fitness.
“We’ve actually managed to put the topic aside a bit so far and focus on the league,” he added.
“We manage our energy well. Starting this week, the anticipation naturally grows daily—you can tell a celebration is approaching.
“Since Eddie Howe became coach, I’ve even played almost every game. Last season, I played 55 games. By the end, I was exhausted and worn out. Thanks to the two or three short breaks I’ve had, I feel better mentally this season than I did at the same time a year ago. You get used to the fast pace in England; your body adjusts to the strain.”
