A pre-season friendly between Como and Real Betis descended into pandemonium as a mass brawl erupted, involving several former Premier League stars.
The fracas broke out just before half-time, resulting in both teams having a player sent off.
Italian side Como’s Maximo Perrone, formerly of Manchester City, was given his marching orders, while ex-Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin saw red for Spanish team Betis.
Perrone appeared to slap Betis’ Pablo Fornals, previously of West Ham, across the face. Fornals retaliated with a slap of his own, which was followed by a punch from Perrone, sparking the melee.
Multiple scuffles ensued as coaching staff from both sides rushed onto the pitch to separate the players. In a bizarre turn of events, Betis forward Cucho Hernandez accidentally struck his own team-mate, Natan.
After approximately 30 seconds of fighting, the referee showed Perrone a straight red card.
Remarkably, Fornals escaped punishment. In what may have been a case of mistaken identity, Bellerin, 30, tried to speak to the referee to defuse the situation, only to be sent off himself after becoming increasingly agitated.
Tensions flared again as the teams made their way towards the tunnel at the picturesque Estadio Municipal de La Linea de la Concepcion in Cadiz, Spain.
In a surprising twist, Bellerin’s red card was overturned by the referee at half-time, while Fornals’ night came to an abrupt end as the referee reversed his decision.
The away side, Como, were ahead 2-0 at the interval, but Betis managed to level the score just 17 minutes into the second half.
However, Como had the last laugh when Ivan Azon slotted home a penalty in the 92nd minute to secure victory in the heated match. This may not be the end of the matter, as both teams could face retrospective penalties.
Fornals is best remembered for his stint at West Ham, which he joined from Villarreal for a cool £24m in 2019. He netted 23 goals in 203 appearances and was part of the legendary team that clinched the Europa Conference League in 2023, after scoring the decisive goal that propelled the Hammers to a semi-final victory over AZ Alkmaar.
He was adored by Hammers fans – largely due to his rendition of ‘West Ham are Massive’ following a triumph against Sevilla in 2022, singing ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ on Instagram live during the Covid-19 pandemic, and his exuberant celebrations after a win against Tottenham in 2021.