Tragedy in Spain: Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel has died

Spanish football has been shaken by profound shock and deep grief. Tenerife’s 30-year-old forward Jesús de Miguel has died following a heavy collision in the match against Andorra on Monday evening.

De Miguel was seriously injured in the closing minutes of the match after a violent collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono as the two contested the ball. Following initial treatment on the pitch, he was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, where his neurological condition was reported to have deteriorated in the early hours of Tuesday morning. In an initial statement, the club had said the player’s condition was critical but stable.

CD Tenerife announced the sad news on Tuesday morning, saying in a statement: “Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this could be true, we regret to announce that Jesús de Miguel passed away at 08:00. No words of comfort can ease this pain. Today we send our strength to his family, his loved ones and the entire CD Tenerife community as they mourn this tragic loss. Jesús de Miguel’s family is grateful for all the messages of condolence and asks that their privacy be fully respected at this difficult time.”

The Madrid-born forward had come on in the 59th minute. Shortly before the end, as De Miguel tried to control a long ball, he collided extremely violently with Owono, who had left his goal and run as far as the centre circle. Owono was shown a straight red card for his reckless challenge, and the match was abandoned with the score at 2-2.

Many Spanish clubs, led by opponents FC Andorra, published messages of condolence. In its message, FC Andorra said: “We are deeply saddened. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to Jesús de Miguel’s family, all his teammates, his loved ones and CD Tenerife.”