Arbeloa sent off; pens without a keeper... Málaga-Fulham

The Costa del Sol Trophy had a movie-like ending. More like a surreal movie, actually. The friendly played at La Rosaleda between Málaga CF and Fulham ended in a draw (2-2), but the real spectacle was not on the scoreboard, rather in the final minutes of the match.

The English side’s manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, was sent off by the referee after angrily protesting a play. The built-up tension led to a drastic decision from the visiting delegation.

Without a second thought, the Fulham bench ordered their players off the pitch. This walk-off prevented the customary penalty shootout from being played to decide the winner of the tournament. Even more bizarre: Málaga took one of the penalties with no goalkeeper in goal.

Hours later, Málaga clarified what had happened in an official statement. The Martiricos club confirmed that the penalty shootout was not stipulated in the match contract.

In addition, the blue-and-white club added a key logistical detail: had the penalties been taken, the Fulham delegation would have missed their return flight to England scheduled for that same night.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.