Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel died after going into cardiac arrest following a chest collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish second-division match, according to Al Jazeera. The 30-year-old’s death has prompted a police investigation and tributes across European football.
The collision happened during a La Liga 2 match, which was abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time, according to the Japan Times. ABC Australia reported that Owono was shown a straight red card for the incident, which occurred in added time. Al Jazeera reported that Spanish police opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui told EFE that criminal proceedings were unlikely because the collision occurred during play, according to ABC Australia. This is the only account of the prosecutor’s statement in the sources reviewed.
The Spanish football federation postponed all Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to ABC Australia. UEFA said it would observe a moment of silence at all its matches this week. Al Jazeera reported that Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal did not play the Champions League anthem before their Tuesday matches in De Miguel’s honour, and that moments of silence were held across Europe, including at Old Trafford.
De Miguel was a Madrid native who joined Tenerife last year after playing for several lower-division Spanish clubs, beginning with Leganés B in 2015, according to Spanish media. He is survived by his wife and daughter, according to the same reports. Spanish law subjects deaths from non-natural causes, including accidents, to judicial investigation.
ABC Australia also reported that a 19-year-old Colindres goalkeeper, Raúl Ramírez, died after a collision in a fifth-division match last year. It noted that Serhiy Perkhun died after a collision in 2001 and José Antonio Gallardo in January 1987.
The precise medical cause of death has not been disclosed, and no local media has reported a pre-existing health condition. Neither FC Andorra nor Owono has responded in the sources reviewed. ABC Australia alone reported that sixth-division player Michel Owono denounced racist insults aimed at him by people who mistook him for the Andorra goalkeeper; this claim has not been verified.
The police investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter is continuing. According to the reports, De Miguel’s body is to be taken to Navahermosa, in Toledo province, at his family’s request. Fans are expected to gather at the stadium on Saturday, and Tenerife has asked for its league game at Granada this weekend to be postponed.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.