Tenerife striker dies after collision in Spanish second-division match

Jesús de Miguel, a 30-year-old forward for CD Tenerife, died on Tuesday following an on-field collision during a Spanish second-division match on Monday. The club announced the news after the player’s condition deteriorated overnight.

The incident occurred in the closing seconds of the Segunda División game. De Miguel was chasing the ball near the halfway line when Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, who had advanced far from his goal, collided with him at speed while attempting to clear the ball. Owono was shown a red card immediately after the impact.

De Miguel initially fell holding his chest before lying motionless on the pitch. Players from both teams gathered around him as medical staff provided support. The match was abandoned in the final minutes while De Miguel received treatment.

The player was transported directly to the hospital. CD Tenerife initially described his condition as stable despite its severity. However, the club reported that he declined neurologically during the night.

“Racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this is true,” the club stated in a Tuesday morning announcement. “We stand alongside his devastated family, alongside his loved ones, alongside all of the tinerfeñismo that today weeps for this cruel outcome.”

CD Tenerife president Felipe Miñambres addressed the team and fans on Tuesday. “We are all going through very difficult moments now, of sadness and of not believing what happened,” Miñambres said. “But we’ll go through the mourning all together, and we’ll be with all the people going through this feeling that should make us be more together.”

Andorra issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its condolences to De Miguel’s family, teammates, and friends. The club said it had postponed its next scheduled match on Sunday. It also noted that it was coordinating with the league and the Andorran government to provide support during this time.

Spanish media reports indicate that the National Police have opened an involuntary manslaughter investigation into the death. The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands confirmed to El País that a non-natural death requires an investigation. The police and the court have been contacted for further comment.

Tributes have emerged from across the soccer world. Fernando Román, a former teammate of De Miguel at Unionistas de Salamanca CF, posted photos and a message on X, writing, “You were more than a friend… I will never forget you…Rest in Peace.”

Real Madrid planned a minute of silence before its training session on Tuesday to express condolences. Barcelona stated it deeply regretted the news. Spain’s soccer federation suspended all Copa del Rey games scheduled for Tuesday. UEFA announced that all matches that week, including Champions League games involving Spanish clubs, would feature moments of silence in De Miguel’s memory.