Fulham refused to take penalty shootouts during their friendly match against Malaga at the Costa del Sol Trophy. The match ended at 2-2 after the 90th minute, pushing the game into the tie-breaker; however, Fulham players refused to take penalties and walked off the field.
The video of the moment also went viral on social media, leaving the fans confused.
The English Club’s decision to not take the penalty shootout was based on two main reasons. When Fulham agreed to the contract, penalties were not included in it, so Fulham were within their rights to refuse the penalty shootouts. But that was not the only reason why Fulham refused the penalties. According to beIN Sports, taking part in the penalties could have resulted in a missed flight for the players, as they might not have made the airport in time had they continued with the shootout; however, Fulham, in their statement, did not mention any such urgency. The rumours were doing the rounds on social media and covered by a few media reports, but no official statement confirmed the development.
Meanwhile, following Fulham’s withdrawal, Malaga’s players remained on the pitch, and one of their stars took the penalty into an empty net and claimed the Costa del Sol Trophy.
“Thank you for your excellent support in Malaga this evening!” Fulham said in a statement. “We can confirm that before the match, both teams agreed that there would not be a penalty shootout in the event of a draw.”
Last-Minute Goal Denied Fulham Opportunity To Claim The Title
Fulham could have won the game in regular time, but a last-minute goal meant that the scores were tied at the end of 90 minutes. Fulham was found guilty of a handball inside the penalty area that gave the Spanish side an opportunity to level the score. Eneko Jauregi took the penalty for Malaga and levelled the score before the whistle.
Tempers Flare
Meanwhile, there was tension on the field when Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa was sent off for protesting the referee’s decision.
After the end of regular time, the English club’s players were seen speaking to the referee before walking off. The withdrawal from the shootout also invited loud boos for the Fulham players by the nearly 17000 fans who turned up to watch the final of the Costa del Sol Trophy.