A pre-season friendly between Fulham and Malaga turned into an unusual spectacle on Wednesday night, with the Premier League club's players and staff leaving the pitch before the match had technically finished, allowing the Spanish side to convert a penalty into an unguarded goal.
The contest, played at Malaga's Estadio La Rosaleda for the Costa del Sol Trophy, had already produced plenty of drama before the bizarre finale. Fulham twice let slip a lead during the game. Ryan Sessegnon opened the scoring in the first half before Malaga's Chupo-Moting equivalent, Chupe, restored parity. Alex Iwobi then put the Cottagers back in front in the 57th minute, only for Malaga to draw level again deep into stoppage time.
That second equaliser came in controversial fashion. Referee officials awarded Malaga a penalty after Fulham defender Calvin Bassey was penalised for handball, and Eneko Jauregi stepped up to convert, making it 2-2.
The drama, however, did not end there. New Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa was sent off after clashing with the match officials once the final whistle blew. Believing the game had concluded as a draw, Arbeloa and his squad promptly made their way down the tunnel.
Malaga's players, though, remained on the field, under the impression that the friendly was destined to be settled by a penalty shootout in order to determine the winner of the trophy. With Fulham nowhere to be seen, Jauregi placed the ball on the spot and slotted it into the empty net, much to the delight of the home supporters, before wheeling away in celebration as though he had won the shootout outright.
The episode has since sparked a public disagreement between the two clubs over what had actually been agreed beforehand. Fulham moved quickly to clarify their position, posting a statement on social media: