The football world has united in mourning following the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who suffered fatal head and chest injuries in a collision with goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish second division match against FC Andorra on Monday. De Miguel's condition was initially described as stable but serious, but he deteriorated and died at 07:00 GMT on Tuesday.
A minute's silence was observed before Tuesday's Champions League fixtures across Europe and will be repeated for Wednesday's matches as well as all Europa League and Conference League games this week. Mourners laid flowers and lit candles beneath a black-and-white image of De Miguel at Tenerife's home ground, the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez.
Tenerife announced six official days of mourning with all club activities suspended. The club's players, staff and officials will attend De Miguel's funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo, and the stadium will open on Saturday evening for supporters to pay their respects. The player's family thanked well-wishers and requested privacy.
The incident occurred in the seventh minute of stoppage time with the score tied 2-2. Owono ran to clear a long ball and his knee collided with De Miguel, who lay motionless before being taken to hospital by ambulance. Players from both teams were visibly distressed, with several Tenerife teammates in tears. The referee showed Owono a straight red card and abandoned the match.
Spanish police have opened an investigation for possible involuntary manslaughter, as any non-natural death automatically triggers a judicial inquiry. However, Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui told EFE that criminal proceedings were "very unlikely." Owono, who had over 30,000 Instagram followers, deactivated his account following the incident.
Tributes poured in from across the sport. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho called it a "very, very difficult moment" for Owono and expressed sadness for De Miguel's family. After scoring twice in Barcelona's win over Aston Villa, Raphinha dedicated his goals to De Miguel's family. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described the incident as "heartbreaking."
Global stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal also posted condolences on social media. Messi wrote there were "no words" and sent strength to the family, Nadal expressed "terrible sadness," and Ronaldo called it a "tragedy." Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, co-owner of Andorra, said he was "sorry with all my soul."
De Miguel, who joined Tenerife in 2025 on a three-year deal after helping the club gain promotion, began his youth career at Leganes and played for Unionistas de Salamanca before signing for Castellon in 2023. His Tenerife teammates shared emotional tributes, with midfielder Juanjo Sanchez recalling his kindness and striker Enric Gallego calling him "one of the best people" he had met.
