During West Brom's pre-season friendly versus Mallorca on Saturday, there were some disturbing moments when Jayson Molumby lost control and assaulted an opponent. During a warm-up match between West Brom and Mallorca of Spain on Saturday afternoon at the Championship team's training base in the West Midlands, an even more horrifying incident took place. Before hitting Samu Costa with a powerful blow, Molumby, an international for the Republic of Ireland, seemed to try to headbutt the Portuguese player.
In the preseason leading up to the 2024–25 season, there have already been a number of tense moments involving EFL clubs. James McClean and Levi Colwill clashed during Wrexham's most recent draw with Chelsea, while Bolton player George Johnston started a brawl during Friday's game against Fiorentina.
Following Costa's poorly timed challenge that knocked down Molumby, the two faced off, spoke, and then touched foreheads. Subsequently, Molumby seemed to make a head lunge, causing Costa to lift his left hand, and the Irishman delivered a powerful right-hand blow directly to his opponent's jaw.
A number of individuals from both sides joined the fight as the two grappled with each other before tumbling to the ground. The authorities required many minutes to divide the two teams of players, during which time several substitutes and coaching personnel also entered the field. After trying to console his teammate, Kyle Bartley finally escorted Molumby out of the scene.
What happened after the incident took place?
After speaking with the coaches of Mallorca and West Brom, Carlos Corberan and Javier Aguirre, the referee appeared to dismiss Molumby and Costa. The Portuguese player seemed furious at the outcome and argued his innocence for almost a minute before storming off the field and throwing his Mallorca jersey in disgust. In order to prevent things from getting worse, the referee called halftime a few minutes early. The game resumed after the break.
After playing their last preseason matches against Cambridge United and neighborhood rivals Birmingham, West Brom will play their first EFL Championship season encounter against QPR on August 10.