A Spanish soccer player has died at just 30 after a brutal collision with a rival team’s goalkeeper.
Jesús de Miguel, a striker for CD Tenerife, was playing against FC Andorra at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Tenerife on Nov. 2, when a collision with the opposing goalkeeper brought the match to a horrifying end.
The two teams were tied 2-2 in the final minutes when Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono raced away from his goal to intercept the ball. As De Miguel pursued it, Owono’s raised knee struck him in the chest, BBC Sport reports.
The 30-year-old collapsed on the field, prompting players from both teams to urgently summon medical assistance.
While medics worked to save him, several of his teammates were visibly distressed, with many reduced to tears. Owono received a red card, and the referee abandoned the match.
De Miguel was rushed to hospital, where doctors initially described his condition as serious but stable. However, after suffering a cardiac arrest and remaining unconscious, his condition deteriorated.
He died the following morning.
‘Racked with pain’
Tenerife confirmed the heartbreaking news on Tuesday, Nov. 3, expressing disbelief at the loss of their teammate.
“Racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this is true,” the club shared in a social post, announcing the striker’s death.
“There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can alleviate this feeling overflowing with sadness. We stand alongside his devastated family, alongside his loved ones, alongside all of tinerfeñismo that today weeps for this cruel outcome.”
The grief quickly spread beyond Tenerife, with clubs across Spain and Europe honoring the player.
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who co-owns FC Andorra, shared a brief tribute.
“I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesús,” he wrote.
Owono called a ‘murderer’
As the soccer community mourned De Miguel, the goalkeeper involved in the fatal collision faced a wave of online abuse, with some users calling him a “murderer” on social media.
According to The Guardian, Owono deactivated his Instagram account, prompting FC Andorra defender Lautaro Spatz to speak out in support of his teammate.
“I also want to say a few words about my teammate, goalkeeper and friend, who is deeply affected by what has happened,” Spatz shared. “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.”
Meanwhile, Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death, although such inquiries are standard procedure in Spain when a death is considered unnatural.
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