Jesús de Miguel, CD Tenerife striker, has passed away following a horrific collision during a match in the second division of Spanish football.
Miguel collided with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during their league clash on Monday, November 2, at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium.
Tenerife confirmed his death on Tuesday, a day after the clash.
The collision happened late in the match, when De Miguel chased down a loose ball, and Owono rushed out of his goal to clear it. The goalkeeper, who was in the centre circle far away from his penalty area, crashed heavily into the striker with excessive force, hitting him in the chest and face with his knee and leaving him unconscious on the pitch.
Medical personnel immediately dashed onto the field to revive De Miguel. They treated him for several minutes before carrying him off on a stretcher to the University Hospital of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.
The match, which was tied at 2-2, was eventually abandoned in the 108th minute to allow medical personnel to attend to the injured player. Owono was shown a red card following the challenge.
Reports from Spanish media indicated that De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest following the collision but was resuscitated by medical personnel in the ambulance. Although his condition initially appeared stable, it deteriorated in the early hours of Tuesday.
Confirming his death, CD Tenerife announced that the striker passed away at 8am on Tuesday.
In a statement expressing its grief, the club said: “Broken with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true, CD Tenerife announces the tragic death of Jesús de Miguel Alameda.”
The club added: “There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can ease this feeling of overwhelming sadness. We stand with his devastated family, his loved ones and the entire Tenerife family, who mourn this cruel outcome.”
It also conveyed its condolences to his family, friends, teammates and supporters.
De Miguel’s family thanked those who had sent messages of support and appealed for privacy during the difficult period.
The incident has drawn tributes from football clubs and supporters across Spain, with Barcelona and Real Madrid among those expressing condolences.
