Fulham's pre-season friendly against Malaga on Wednesday night descended into chaos, culminating in manager Alvaro Arbeloa being sent off and his team walking off the pitch. The incident occurred after Malaga secured a last-gasp equaliser, with Eneko Jauregi converting a stoppage-time penalty to make the score 2-2.
Arbeloa received a red card for remonstrating with the referee at full-time before heading down the tunnel with his players, reportedly believing the match had concluded. However, Malaga's players remained on the pitch, expecting a penalty shootout to decide the Costa del Sol Trophy winner.
With Fulham not reappearing, Malaga's Eneko Jauregi placed the ball on the spot and scored into an open net. Fulham has since stated on X that both teams agreed there would be no penalty shootout in the event of a draw, a claim Malaga disputes, insisting a shootout had been scheduled.
Fulham, who have won only one of their five pre-season matches this summer, are set to conclude their 2026/27 preparations against Stuttgart on Saturday at Craven Cottage. Their Premier League campaign is scheduled to begin against Chelsea on Monday, 24 August.