Fulham’s preseason encounter with Malaga descended into chaos on Wednesday, resulting in the English side leaving the pitch and manager Alvaro Arbeloa receiving a red card. The match, held on the southern coast of Spain, ended in a 2-2 draw after the La Liga hosts netted a 90th-minute equaliser.
Disagreement arose immediately following the final whistle regarding the match format. Malaga officials insisted a penalty shootout was part of the schedule, while Fulham maintained that no such provision existed. As the dispute escalated, Arbeloa was dismissed by the officiating crew for his vocal protests. With the visitors refusing to participate, Malaga proceeded to kick a penalty into an empty net to claim the Costa del Sol trophy.
Addressing the incident on X, Fulham stated: “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.” Conversely, Malaga reported that “Fulham left the pitch claiming that a shootout had not been included in the contract.”
The standoff drew comparisons to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal walked off the field to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco. Although that match eventually resumed—with Morocco missing the spot-kick and Senegal winning the subsequent shootout—the Confederation of African Football later stripped Senegal of the title following an appeal. The matter is currently pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
La Liga host Malaga scored a 90th-minute equaliser to make the score 2-2.
Former Real Madrid coach Arbeloa was sent off for arguing with the officiating crew at the end of the match.
