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Fulham Just Walked Off The Pitch Before A Penalty Shootout And Let Their Opponents Score Into An EMPTY Net β€” This Is Chaos 😭

The Premier League side literally left the stadium thinking the match was over β€” so Malaga took a penalty into an empty goal and celebrated like they'd won the World Cup. Pre-season just got WILD.

By NewsFizz Staff πŸ’¬ Join the discussion
Empty goal with goalkeeper absent during penalty kick
Illustration: NewsFizz

Stop everything, because we just witnessed the most chaotic pre-season moment in football history β€” and honestly, we're still trying to process what just happened. 😭

Fulham's friendly against Malaga ended with the Spanish side taking a penalty into a completely empty net after the entire Premier League squad walked off the pitch thinking the game was over. Yes, REALLY.

Wait, What Actually Happened?

Here's the tea: Fulham were playing Malaga in Spain for the Costa del Sol Trophy on Wednesday night, and things were going... fine? The match was 2-2 after Malaga equalized in the FINAL MINUTE of normal time with a controversial handball penalty converted by striker Eneko Jauregi.

Then came the chaos.

According to BBC Sport, Fulham boss Marco Silva was sent off for apparently arguing with the referee at full-time β€” and he immediately headed straight down the tunnel. His entire team followed him, believing the match was done and dusted.

Except... it wasn't.

And Then It Got SO Much Worse

While Fulham were presumably already in the changing rooms discussing where to grab dinner, Malaga stayed on the pitch expecting a penalty shootout to decide the winner of the trophy.

The fans were waiting. Malaga were ready. Fulham were... gone.

So what did Malaga do? Striker Jauregi calmly placed the ball on the penalty spot, took a run-up, and slotted it into the completely empty net before celebrating with his teammates in front of the home crowd at Estadio La Rosaleda. Absolutely UNHINGED behavior and we are HERE for it. πŸ’€

The Tea β˜•

  • Malaga equalized 2-2 in the 90th minute with a handball penalty
  • Fulham's manager got sent off and walked straight down the tunnel with his entire team
  • Malaga expected a penalty shootout; Fulham thought the match was over
  • Jauregi scored a penalty into an empty net and celebrated like a champion
  • Both clubs are now blaming each other for the confusion

So... Who's Right?

Plot twist: nobody seems to know what was actually agreed.

Fulham released a statement on X insisting "prior to the match, both teams agreed that there would not be a penalty shootout in the event of a draw." Fair enough!

But Malaga's official match report tells a VERY different story, stating: "Although a penalty shootout had been scheduled, Fulham left the pitch, claiming that a shootout had not been included in the contract."

So either someone didn't read the fine print, or there was a serious communication breakdown. Either way, the result? Peak pre-season chaos and one of the most bizarre moments we've seen on a football pitch.

The whole thing feels like when you leave a group chat thinking the conversation is over and everyone keeps talking about you. Except this time it's on international television with thousands of fans watching. πŸ’€

What Happens Now?

Honestly? Probably nothing. It's a pre-season friendly for a trophy literally nobody will remember in three weeks. Fulham will dust themselves off and face Stuttgart on Saturday before their Premier League opener against Chelsea on August 24.

But the internet? The internet will NEVER forget the time Fulham rage-quit a penalty shootout and let their opponents score into an empty net. This is going straight into the "weird football moments" hall of fame alongside that time a player threw a corner flag at an opponent and when a team tried to score from kickoff while the other side were still doing their pre-match huddle.

Pre-season friendlies are supposed to be boring warm-ups. Instead, Fulham just gave us the most entertaining 30 seconds of football drama this summer. Iconic behavior, honestly. 😭

So what do YOU think β€” was this a genuine mix-up or did Fulham just rage-quit a penalty shootout they thought they'd lose? Sound off below! πŸ‘‡


Sources:

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