Fulham Refuses Penalty Shootout, Málaga Scores Into Empty Net

A preseason friendly between Málaga and Fulham descended into chaos on Wednesday night, August 12, after the English club refused to participate in a penalty shootout, leading to their manager's dismissal and an unusual conclusion to the Costa del Sol Trophy. The match at Estadio La Rosaleda in Málaga, Spain, ended 2-2 after 90 minutes, but the trophy was awarded to the Spanish side after a Malaga player scored into an empty net.

The controversy began in the final moments of regular time when referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias awarded Málaga a penalty for a handball by Fulham's Calvin Bassey. Eneko Jauregi converted the spot-kick in the 90th minute to level the score at 2-2. Following the equalizer, Fulham head coach Álvaro Arbeloa protested the decision to the referee and was shown a straight red card.

After the final whistle, as Málaga's players prepared for a penalty shootout to decide the trophy, Fulham's squad refused to take part and walked off the field. The club later issued a statement explaining that both teams had agreed before the match there would be no shootout in the event of a draw. Reports also indicated that participating in a shootout would have caused the...