A pre-season friendly between Malaga and Fulham descended into utter chaos on Wednesday evening after Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa was sent off, leading to the English side walking down the tunnel before Malaga scored an uncontested penalty into an empty net to claim the Costa del Sol Cup.

Bizarre Scenes at Estadio La Rosaleda

The match at Estadio La Rosaleda was lively from the opening whistle. Fulham took the lead twice courtesy of strikes from Ryan Sessegnon and Alex Iwobi. However, Malaga responded through Chupete in the first half before dramatic scenes unfolded late in normal time.

In the final minute of the game, Malaga were awarded a penalty when Fulham defender Calvin Bassey was penalised for a handball. Striker Eneko Jauregi stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to level the score at 2-2.

Arbeloa Dismissed as Teams Dispute Shootout Contract

The controversy escalated immediately following the equaliser. Arbeloa, who took charge of Fulham earlier this summer, remonstrated furiously on the touchline with the match officials and was shown a straight red card. When the final whistle blew, the Fulham squad followed their manager down the tunnel rather than remaining on the pitch for a penalty shootout.

Traditionally, drawn matches in the Costa del Sol Cup have been settled via a penalty shootout. With Fulham having completely vacated the pitch and no goalkeeper in goal, Jauregi placed the ball on the spot and rolled it into the empty net, sparking wild celebrations among Malaga players and their home supporters.

Following the match, Malaga published a statement explaining the incident: “Although a penalty shootout had been scheduled, Fulham left the pitch, claiming that a shootout had not been included in the contract.”

Fulham, however, presented a different account on social media, writing: “We can confirm that prior to the match, both teams agreed that there would not be a penalty shootout in the event of a draw.”

Looking Ahead to the New Season

The west London side maintained that their departure was not intended as a protest, while reports from Spain suggested Fulham needed to depart quickly to catch their scheduled flight back to England.

Fulham will conclude their pre-season preparations against German outfit Stuttgart this weekend before kicking off their Premier League campaign against Chelsea on August 24. Meanwhile, Malaga prepare for their return to Spain's top flight following an eight-year absence.