CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel has died at the age of 30, a day after suffering a serious head injury and cardiac arrest during a Spanish second-division match against FC Andorra. The forward collapsed following a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during the closing stages of Monday’s LaLiga 2 encounter, which was abandoned with the score tied at 2-2.
The incident occurred in the seventh minute of stoppage time when a long ball sent De Miguel towards goal, prompting Owono to rush out of his penalty area to clear it. The goalkeeper attempted to clear it with his foot but collided heavily with De Miguel. Medical personnel attended to the striker for more than five minutes before he was carried off on a stretcher and transported to hospital by ambulance.
Spanish media reported that De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest following the incident but was successfully resuscitated. Although his condition initially appeared to have stabilised on Monday evening, it deteriorated the following morning, leading to his death. CD Tenerife confirmed the news on Tuesday, November 3, expressing profound sadness over the loss of the forward.
The club said they were "racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this is true" in a statement. Spanish police have opened proceedings over possible involuntary manslaughter in connection with the incident. A source from the National Police confirmed the development, while judicial authorities in the Canary Islands explained that an investigation is a standard procedure whenever a death is classified as non-natural under Spanish law.
Owono has faced considerable abuse on social media following the collision and deactivated his Instagram account on Tuesday morning. Andorra president Gerard Piqué expressed his condolences to the deceased striker, writing: “I’m sorry with all my heart. Rest in peace Jesus.”
The tragedy has prompted tributes across Spanish and European football, with several competitions taking steps to honour De Miguel. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) postponed all matches scheduled for Tuesday, including fixtures in the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina.
UEFA has also announced that a moment of silence will be observed before European fixtures this week, including Tuesday’s Champions League matches involving Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the organisation was in "deep sorrow" over De Miguel's death.
Key points
- CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel dies at 30 after head injury in Spanish second-division match
- Spanish police open proceedings over possible involuntary manslaughter in connection with the incident
- UEFA to observe moment of silence before European fixtures this week in honour of De Miguel
