Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel died following a collision on the pitch during a Spanish second-tier league match against FC Andorra on Monday. The 30-year-old Spaniard suffered head and chest injuries in a heavy collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono.
De Miguel's condition was described as stable but serious on Monday. His health deteriorated on Tuesday morning and he died at 07:00 Central European Time. The match was stopped in the seventh minute of stoppage time with the score at 2-2, when Owono ran towards the centre of the pitch to clear a long ball and collided with De Miguel with his knee. The striker lay motionless on the grass while medical staff attended to him, before being taken from the Tenerife pitch by ambulance to hospital. Players from both teams were visibly shaken, and several of De Miguel's teammates wept on the pitch. The referee showed Owono a straight red card before the match was abandoned.
Tenerife announced on Tuesday evening that it was beginning six official days of mourning, during which all club activities were suspended. Players, staff and club officials will attend De Miguel's funeral in Navahermosa in Toledo. The club will open its home stadium on Saturday evening to allow fans a dignified farewell. Mourners laid flowers and lit candles beneath a black-and-white photograph of De Miguel at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium, Tenerife's home ground.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Spanish police had opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel's death. Under Spanish law, any death deemed abnormal automatically triggers a judicial investigation. The chief state prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui, told Spanish news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were "very unlikely". Goalkeeper Owono, who had more than 30,000 followers on Instagram on Tuesday morning, has meanwhile deactivated his account.
De Miguel had been at Tenerife for just over a season, having arrived from Castellon in the summer of 2025. He helped the team secure promotion to the second division. The Spanish striker began his career in the youth academy of Leganes in the Madrid suburbs, played for a number of clubs, including Unionistas de Salamanca, before signing for Castellon in 2023.
A minute's silence was held before Champions League matches across Europe on Tuesday evening, and will be repeated before Wednesday's fixtures and all Europa League and Conference League matches this week. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho expressed his sadness at the incident and said it was a "very, very difficult moment" for Owono. Brazilian forward Raphinha, after scoring twice in Barcelona's win over Aston Villa, said: "Today I do not want to talk about football, I want to send a message to Jesus's family - rest in peace." Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told a press conference that the incident was "heartbreaking".
Other sporting stars, including retired Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal, Argentine giant Lionel Messi and Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, also left messages on Instagram. Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, a co-owner of Andorra, said: "I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesus." Midfielder Juanjo Sanchez wrote: "You let me into your heart and deserved a place in mine, because we shared moments of laughter every day and walked barefoot after training." Forward Enric Gallego described De Miguel as "one of the best people" he had ever met, in an emotional statement.
