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FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono has described the aftermath of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel’s death as the hardest period of his life. De Miguel, 30, passed away following a serious injury sustained in a collision with Owono during a Spanish second division match on Monday. The football community has responded with widespread tributes, including a minute’s silence held across all European competition fixtures this week.
Owono and Teammate Respond to Tragedy
Through a statement issued by his club on Wednesday, the 25-year-old goalkeeper expressed his profound grief and difficulty in accepting the loss. Owono stated that he feels enormous pain for De Miguel, his family, and loved ones, adding that he cannot focus on anything else right now. Earlier on Wednesday, FC Andorra teammate Lautaro Spatz defended Owono on social media, emphasizing that the goalkeeper would never intentionally hurt anyone and was deeply devastated by the incident. Players from FC Andorra observed a minute’s silence before a voluntary training session, which Owono did not attend, and the player has since deactivated his Instagram account.
Match Incident and Legal Inquiry
The incident occurred seven minutes into stoppage time with Tenerife and Andorra tied at 2-2. Owono rushed toward the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel. The striker lay motionless on the pitch receiving medical attention before being transported by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to a hospital. Owono received a red card and the match was abandoned. Following the player’s death, Spanish police opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, as Spanish law automatically triggers a judicial inquiry for any non-natural death.
Tributes and Mourning Period
Venancio Tomas Micha, president of the football federation of Equatorial Guinea—for whom Owono has made 47 international appearances—released a statement offering full backing to the distressed player. Supporters gathered at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez on Tuesday to leave flowers and light candles beneath a black and white photograph of De Miguel. Tenerife announced six official days of mourning with all club activities suspended, and club members will attend the funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo. The club will also open their home ground on Saturday for supporters to bid a farewell, while Tenerife and Andorra’s upcoming weekend league matches against Granada and Mallorca have been postponed.
