Matthias Jaissle’s first game against Newcastle saw a wild fight by the sidelines and Anthony Elanga needing a stretcher.
Matthias Jaissle’s first game as Newcastle’s new manager was full of drama after a heated clash between the Magpies and Valencia. Jaissle, who took over from Eddie Howe after his surprising departure, watched his team play for the first time in a friendly at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.
The game got intense when Jaissle saw a nasty challenge on winger Anthony Elanga right in front of him. Valencia’s captain, Jose Gaya, made a dangerous tackle on Elanga while he had the ball on the right side, leaving him in a lot of pain.
Jaissle was furious and ran over to the linesman to argue for a red card, which the referee eventually gave. But before that, both teams got involved in a bit of a scuffle. Elanga, who had started strong, needed medical help and was taken off on a stretcher, with Jacob Murphy coming on for him.
Newcastle fans were worried Elanga might be out for a long time, but there’s good news. Craig Hope from the Daily Mail said the injury doesn’t look serious. Elanga was seen walking around and seems to have just bruised his shin, not broken any bones or damaged ligaments.
Valencia took an early lead with Filip Ugrinic scoring from a long-range shot just four minutes in. But Yoane Wissa scored twice to give Jaissle his first win with Newcastle.
Newcastle’s summer has been rocky, with Howe leaving and key players like Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes also moving on. They’ve signed five new players so far, including Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £43 million.
Next up, Newcastle will play a friendly against Everton on Wednesday at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. After that, they’ll face Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg as they get ready for the new Premier League season.