Tenerife returns to action with emotional De Miguel tribute after striker’s death

File photo: Tenerife honoured the late Jesus De Miguel, who died on November 3, with a tribute video at their home ground, the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Tenerife, a second-division club in Spain, played for the first time on Sunday since the death of striker Jesus De Miguel, facing Ceuta in a game marked by emotional tributes before kick-off and during play.

De Miguel died on November 3, a day after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono in a league match at home.

Tributes have been held across the country, and on Sunday, Tenerife paid its own respects at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium.

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Before kick-off, a minute of silence was bookended by a lengthy standing ovation. Play was halted in the ninth minute for another round of applause, and a video of De Miguel was shown around the stadium, as it was in every first and second-tier game in Spain last weekend.

Tenerife fans also unfurled a banner reading “Jesus De Miguel, 9, eternally blue and white.”

Forward Nacho Gil put Tenerife ahead in the 40th minute and celebrated by showing De Miguel’s shirt to the crowd. Gil then revealed a message written under his shirt saying “Demi (De Miguel’s nickname), always in our hearts.”

Neal Viereck added a second four minutes from time to seal a 2-0 win for Tenerife, ending ‌a run of six games without a win.

Tenerife is ​14th in the Segunda standings, while Ceuta is bottom.

Last Saturday, Tenerife’s match against Granada was postponed, and the club invited supporters to the stadium to pay their respects to De Miguel. The squad and staff were at the Heliodoro, and also in Navahermosa three days earlier, where De Miguel was laid to rest.