Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies After Horror Collision With Goalkeeper During Match

Spanish football has been plunged into mourning following the death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel after a horrific on-pitch collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second-division league match.

The 30-year-old forward suffered a cardiac arrest following the incident at Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López and was rushed to hospital, where he died the following day.

The tragedy has also left Owono, a 25-year-old goalkeeper from Equatorial Guinea, deeply traumatised by the outcome of the collision.

Horror Collision During Stoppage Time

The incident occurred when Tenerife and FC Andorra were tied 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time.

Owono had rushed towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide forcefully with De Miguel.

The Tenerife striker immediately collapsed and remained motionless on the pitch, prompting an urgent response from medical personnel.

Doctors attended to De Miguel after he suffered a cardiac arrest before he was transported by ambulance to hospital.

Despite efforts to save his life, the forward died the following day.

Owono was shown a red card following the collision, while the match was subsequently abandoned.

Teammate Defends Traumatised Goalkeeper

The tragedy has also taken a heavy emotional toll on Owono, who reportedly deactivated his Instagram account, which had more than 30,000 followers, after receiving online abuse over the incident.

FC Andorra confirmed that psychological support was available to anyone at the club who needed assistance following the heartbreaking events.

Andorra centre-back Lautaro Spatz also came to the goalkeeper’s defence, describing him as a deeply affected teammate and friend who would never intentionally hurt another player.

In a social media message, Spatz said those who knew Owono understood his character and the emotional pain he was experiencing.

“Those of us who know him know the kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment, and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone,” he wrote.

He further noted that although unfortunate incidents were part of football, nobody could have imagined that one would end in such devastating circumstances.

“In football, unfortunate incidents can happen, but no one could imagine that one of them might end with such tragic consequences,” he added.

The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation also issued a statement expressing solidarity with Owono, who has made 47 international appearances for the national team.

The federation said the goalkeeper was experiencing profound sorrow and grief following the death of his fellow footballer.

Police Launch Investigation as Tenerife Declares Mourning

Spanish national police have opened an investigation into De Miguel’s death as part of the country’s routine legal procedures following a non-natural death.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, however, indicated that criminal proceedings were very unlikely.

Meanwhile, Tenerife declared six official days of mourning and suspended all club activities in honour of the fallen striker.

De Miguel, who joined the club in the summer of 2025, was a father of one. His funeral is scheduled to take place in Navahermosa, Toledo.

Tributes have also poured in from across European football, with a minute’s silence observed at matches throughout the week.

Barcelona forward Raphinha was among those who spoke about the tragedy after his team’s Champions League encounter against Aston Villa.

The Brazilian expressed his condolences to De Miguel’s family, admitting that the news had made it difficult for him to concentrate on football.

“I want to send a lot of strength to the family of Jesús. Today I’m not going to talk about football. For me, the truth is it was quite difficult. After seeing the news, of course I didn’t have good feelings,” Raphinha said.

He added that the tragedy was a painful reminder of how quickly things could change in football, noting that such an incident could have happened to any player, including himself.

“He’s a fellow player and it could have happened to anyone, it could have happened to me,” he stated.