Former West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals was sent off for punching an opponent in an unsightly pre-season clash between Real Betis and Como.
Cesc Fabregas’ team ran out 3-2 winners against the LaLiga outfit, however the scoreline was the least of the talking points because the match descended into chaos on the stroke of half time.
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With Como leading 2-0, tempers flared when Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles left his penalty area to attempt to get the ball off one in all the Italian side’s players to take a free kick.
But few could have expected the chaos that may ensue after this as a mass brawl soon erupted between each sets of players.
Footage online shows the Como and Betis stars furiously pushing and shoving, with the 2 teams’ benches even getting involved.
And things soon escalated as ex-West Ham star Fornals and Como midfielder Massimo Perrone got here to blows in unsavoury scenes.
Fornals appeared to land the primary punch, striking the Argentine within the face, who then swung back at him violently.
The 2 players needed to be pulled apart by their respective teammates because the situation descended into mayhem.
Things got so out of hand that Betis forward Cucho Hernandez unintentionally punched his own teammate Natan whilst appearing to aim for Perrone, but missed.
Eventually the referee managed to regain control of the situation, but only very briefly as he reached into his pocket.
Perrone was shown a straight red for his part within the brawl, but incredibly, Fornals appeared to flee without punishment.
As a substitute, former Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin was sent off in confusing scenes, despite appearing to be the peacemaker, with this seemingly a case of mistaken identity.
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And this was later confirmed when the 2 sides headed back out for the second half, as Bellerin returned to the sector while Fornals’ night ended there, because the referee modified his decision.
Former Wolves striker Patrick Cutrone, and ex-Spurs man Giovani Lo Celso were also each shown yellow cards for his or her part within the brawl.
Betis managed to place the first-half drama behind them after the interval, who were a modified side within the second half.
Last season’s Europa Conference League finalists nearly managed a formidable comeback, as they battled back to make it 2-2.
Spain midfielder Isco netted within the fifty fifth minute, before former Leeds man Junior Firpo equalised to cancel out Assane Diao and Lucas Da Cunha’s early goals.
However the Serie A outfit then snatched victory late on, as Ivan Azon bagged a stoppage-time winner to bring a crazy game to an end.
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Each side might be hoping to avoid any retrospective motion being taken against their players as they prepare to get their seasons underway.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis will begin their LaLiga campaign away to Elche on August 18.
Meanwhile, Como return to competitive motion within the Coppa Italia first round against Sudtirol on August 16, before kicking off their Serie A season against Lazio on August 24.