A fatal incident during a Spanish second division football match on Monday has resulted in the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, age 30. The collision occurred between De Miguel and FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during the match, which was tied 2-2 seven minutes into stoppage time. Owono moved toward the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel, who subsequently collapsed on the pitch. The player was transported by ambulance to a hospital but did not survive. Owono was sent off and the match was abandoned.
Owono, a 25-year-old goalkeeper with 47 international appearances for Equatorial Guinea, released a statement through his club addressing the incident. The statement conveys his profound distress over the circumstances, stating he struggles to comprehend what occurred and expressing sympathy for De Miguel’s family and loved ones. Owono indicated he would cooperate with any investigations and address relevant matters with respect, though he emphasized his current focus remains on grieving De Miguel. His teammate, centre-back Lautaro Spatz, publicly defended Owono, describing him as someone who would never intentionally harm another player and noting that he has been deeply affected by the tragedy.
The broader football community has responded with tributes to De Miguel, a father of one who joined Tenerife in summer 2025. Minute silences were observed at all European competition matches this week in his memory. Tenerife announced six official days of mourning with all club activities suspended, and the club’s stadium will open to supporters on Saturday evening to allow them to pay respects. De Miguel’s funeral will take place in Navahermosa, Toledo, with club personnel in attendance.
Spanish authorities initiated a routine judicial investigation into the incident, as deaths classified as non-natural automatically trigger such inquiries under Spanish law. The investigation has been characterized as examining possible involuntary manslaughter. The presidents of both Tenerife and Equatorial Guinea’s football federation issued statements expressing support and condolences. Scheduled weekend matches for both clubs in the second division have been postponed out of respect.
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