Teammate defends goalkeeper after Tenerife striker’s death

Jesus de Miguel joined Tenerife in 2025 on a three-year deal Photo: ALAMY

An Andorra teammate has defended goalkeeper Jesus Owono following the death of Tenerife forward, Jesus de Miguel, after a collision during a Spanish second-division match on Monday.

Andorra centre-back Lautaro Spatz said Owono was deeply affected by the incident, insisting that the 25-year-old goalkeeper would never intentionally hurt anyone.

De Miguel, 30, died after suffering a serious injury during a collision with Owono in the closing moments of the match between Tenerife and Andorra.

The game was tied 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time, when Owono rushed towards the centre circle to clear a long ball but appeared to collide with De Miguel using his knee.

The Tenerife forward was left motionless on the pitch as medical personnel provided emergency treatment before he was taken by ambulance to hospital. Owono was sent off following the incident, while the match was subsequently abandoned.

Reacting to the tragedy on social media on Wednesday, Spatz expressed his condolences to De Miguel’s family and described the incident as devastating for everyone involved.

He also spoke in support of his teammate, saying, “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.”

Spatz added that although unfortunate incidents could happen in football, nobody could have imagined that such an incident would result in a tragedy.

The Equatoguinean Football Federation also expressed support for Owono, saying in a statement on Tuesday that the goalkeeper was going through a situation of “profound sorrow and grief”.

Owono, who has made 47 international appearances for Equatorial Guinea, has since deactivated his Instagram account.

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Meanwhile, Spanish police have opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death.

Under Spanish law, a judicial inquiry is automatically initiated when a death is considered non-natural.

De Miguel joined Tenerife in the summer of 2025 on a three-year contract and was a father of one.

Following his death, the football community has paid tribute to the striker, with a minute’s silence scheduled at European matches throughout the week.

Tenerife has also announced six official days of mourning, suspending all club activities during the period.

The club’s players, officials and staff are expected to attend De Miguel’s funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo.

Tenerife will also open the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez on Saturday evening to allow supporters to pay their final respects to the late striker.

In a statement, the club said De Miguel’s family appreciated the messages of support but appealed for privacy as they mourned their loss.