HR EN DE
NEWS SPORT BIZNIS SCENA LIFESTYLE TECH

Fulham Walked Off and Handed the Trophy to Malaga

A friendly match for the Costa del Sol Trophy turned into a scandal after the English club refused to take penalties, and coach Álvaro Arbeloa was sent off for a heated protest.

Foto: Wikipedia (Costa del Sol)
Summary
  • Fulham refused to take penalties after a 2-2 draw against Malaga and walked off the pitch.
  • Fulham coach Álvaro Arbeloa was sent off for a heated protest to the referee.
  • Malaga were declared winners of the Costa del Sol Trophy after a symbolic penalty by Eneko Jauregi.

The football match between Malaga and Fulham for the traditional Costa del Sol Trophy ended in an incredible fashion. After the regulation 90 minutes finished 2-2, the English Premier League side refused to take penalties, walked off the pitch, and headed to the dressing room, thereby handing the trophy, which has been awarded since 1961, to the hosts.

Arbeloa Sent Off

The main role in the incident was played by Fulham coach Álvaro Arbeloa. According to a report from Index.hr, the former Real Madrid player got into a heated argument with referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias over a penalty awarded to Malaga in the 90th minute, which brought the hosts level at 2-2. The protest was so intense that the referee showed him a red card.

Fulham had led twice during the match, but Malaga came back both times. It was the second goal for the hosts, scored from the spot in stoppage time, that set off a chain of events leading to surreal scenes in front of around twenty thousand spectators.

Symbolic Penalty for the Win

After Arbeloa's dismissal, Fulham's players spent a few minutes talking to the officials, then simply headed for the dressing room. The club claimed that taking penalties was not stipulated in the contract outlining the terms of the friendly, and the team was scheduled to head to the airport immediately after the match to catch a flight to London.

Only Malaga's players remained on the pitch. The situation was resolved by Eneko Jauregi, who took a symbolic penalty into an empty net and scored, officially making Malaga the tournament winners. The scandal didn't end there, as Arbeloa did not show up for the post-match press conference, where journalists were expecting him.

FAQ
Why did Fulham refuse to take penalties? +
Fulham claimed that taking penalties was not stipulated in the contract for the friendly match, and the team had to catch a flight to London.
Who won the Costa del Sol Trophy? +
Malaga were officially declared the tournament winners after Eneko Jauregi took a symbolic penalty into an empty net.
Why was Álvaro Arbeloa shown a red card? +
The Fulham coach was sent off for a heated protest to referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias after a penalty was awarded to Malaga in the 90th minute.

Log in

You need to log in or register to comment.

Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!
Search
Popular
Nedavno pretraživano
helsinški sporazum
liga prvaka
digitalni mediji
Login
Home
Make 5MIN.hr a preferred source
Follow us on social media
Categories