A pre-season friendly between Málaga and Fulham at Estadio La Rosaleda ended with Málaga awarded the Costa del Sol Trophy after Fulham declined to participate in a penalty shootout, citing a prior agreement that no shootout would take place in the event of a draw.
The match, which served as a warm-up for both teams, finished 2-2 in normal time. Málaga had equalised in the last minute of regulation through Eneko Jauregi, who converted a penalty following a handball by Calvin Bassey.
According to Málaga's website, a penalty shootout had been planned for after the match. However, Fulham players headed down the tunnel at full-time, asserting that a shootout was not included in the contract.
With Málaga's players remaining on the pitch awaiting the shootout, Eneko Jauregi took a penalty kick and scored into an empty net. He then celebrated with his teammates in front of the home fans at La Rosaleda.
The scoreline at full-time before the controversial non-shootout.
The confusion was compounded by the fact that Málaga's manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, was sent off for protesting a decision at full-time. The Spanish club were subsequently declared winners of the Costa del Sol Trophy after Fulham's exit.
Fulham's urgency to leave was attributed to their need to catch a flight back to London immediately after the match, a factor noted by observers as contributing to their decision.
One broadcast outlet described the incident as a surreal repeat of the Senegal AFCON final protest, while other reports focused on the contractual disagreement and logistical pressures that shaped the end of the match.
Before the late drama, Fulham had taken the lead through Sessegnon in the 24th minute, but Málaga hit back four minutes later through Chape. Alex Iwobi restored Fulham's advantage in the 57th minute, only for Jauregi's last-minute penalty to make it 2-2.
Fulham's next fixture sees them travel to face VfB Stuttgart on 15 August, before they open their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Craven Cottage on 24 August.
