Chelsea's friendly match against Malaysian Johor Darul Ta'zim witnessed a strange incident, after the match ended in a 3-3 draw, before the penalty shootout scheduled to take place after the final whistle was canceled.
According to the British Daily Mail newspaper, Chelsea played its second friendly match of the weekend at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in a match that featured tense atmospheres and clashes during some periods.
Johor Darul Ta'zim took the lead first, before Chelsea turned the score around through new signing Liam Delap, who scored two goals from penalty kicks.
The Malaysian team equalized through Óscar Arribas, then took the lead again minutes before the end of the match, but Chelsea equalized in the final minutes after Antonio Cristian scored an own goal.
After the 90 minutes, the two teams were expected to proceed to a penalty shootout to determine the winner, a procedure used in a number of friendly matches during the preparation period.
However, the surprise came when the penalty shootout was not held, as Johor Darul Ta'zim players left the pitch instead of preparing for the penalties.
Reports indicated that a member of Chelsea's administrative staff was heard telling the referee: "This is written in the contract," referring to the fact that holding a penalty shootout had been agreed upon in advance.
Nevertheless, the penalty shootout was not conducted, and players from both teams along with members of the coaching staffs left the pitch without providing a clear official explanation for its cancellation, so the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
The match comes as part of Chelsea's preparations for the new season under coach Xabi Alonso, with the team set to play its final friendly against Real Sociedad before starting its campaign in the new season.