Fulham's pre-season friendly against Malaga concluded in unusual circumstances on Wednesday, with the Spanish side ultimately taking a penalty into an empty net.
The match was tied 2-2 in the final minute of regular time when Fulham defender Calvin Bassey was penalized for a handball, allowing Eneko Jauregi to score from the spot for Malaga.
Following the equalizer, Malaga's coaching staff, led by former Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa, believed the match would proceed to a penalty shootout to determine the winner of the Costa del Sol Trophy. However, the Fulham players and staff interpreted the final whistle as the end of the contest and headed for the tunnel.
Malaga remained on the pitch, and Jauregi converted a penalty into the unattended goal, subsequently celebrating with his teammates in front of the home crowd at Malaga's Estadio La Rosaleda. Fulham has stated that both teams had previously agreed that the match would not involve a penalty shootout if it ended in a draw.
"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," Fulham announced on X.
In contrast, a post-match report on Malaga's official website indicated that "Although a penalty shootout had been scheduled, Fulham left the pitch, claiming that a shootout had not been included in the contract."
This match marked the conclusion of Fulham's pre-season preparations. The team is scheduled to play Stuttgart on Saturday before commencing their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Monday, August 24.