Sports
Tenerife Forward Jesus de Miguel Dies After Collision With Goalkeeper
By Sean Kearns
Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, 30, died after a serious injury sustained during a Spanish second‑division match against FC Andorra. The forward suffered head and chest injuries in a heavy collision with goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who was sent off for the challenge. De Miguel’s condition was described as "stable but serious" on Monday, but he died at 07:00 GMT on Tuesday morning. Reuters reported that Spanish police have opened an investigation for possible involuntary manslaughter, as any non‑natural death triggers a judicial inquiry under Spanish law.
The incident occurred when the match was drawing 2‑2 seven minutes into stoppage time. Owono ran toward the centre circle to clear a long ball and his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel. The striker lay motionless on the pitch while medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López to hospital. Players from both teams were visibly distressed; several of De Miguel’s teammates were in tears. The referee issued Owono a straight red card and abandoned the match.
Spanish media reported that De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics en route to hospital. Tenerife president Felipe Minambres said the club’s players will need professional assistance to cope with the loss, adding that the club has already begun receiving offers of help.
FC Andorra issued a statement expressing shock and condolences to De Miguel’s family, club and those close to him. Former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, who co‑owns Andorra, posted: "I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesus."
De Miguel’s former club Castellón said: "It's hard to find words when reality strikes in such an unfair way. We join with all our affection in the grief of his family and loved ones."
Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, expressed his deepest condolences to the family, teammates, and the club. Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappé, Inter Miami and former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi also posted messages of sorrow.
The Spanish football federation announced that the Spanish Cup fixtures scheduled for Tuesday had been postponed, including two first‑round men’s Copa del Rey matches and a women’s Copa del Rey match between Espanyol and AS Celtas.
De Miguel, born in Madrid, began his career at Leganés in 2015 and played for eight different Spanish clubs, including Lugo, Fuenlabrada, Internacional Madrid, Unión Adarve, Navalcarnero and Uniónistas. He joined Castellón in 2023, scoring 16 goals as the club earned promotion to the second division. In 2025 he signed a three‑year deal with Tenerife, netting 11 goals in 29 appearances. He is survived by his daughter, Carla de Miguel Fernández, born in 2025.