The death of Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife attacker, has prompted an outpouring of sorrow throughout football, bringing together supporters, fellow professionals and leading figures from other sports.
Fatal injuries following the Andorra fixture
Monday’s Spanish second-tier encounter with FC Andorra left the forward with trauma to his head and chest after a forceful impact involving goalkeeper Jesus Owono. Initially assessed that day as serious yet stable, his condition worsened on Tuesday morning. The Spanish player passed away at 07:00 GMT.
At the time of the incident, the score stood at 2-2, with seven additional minutes already played. Owono had advanced towards the halfway circle to intercept a lengthy pass; his knee appeared to strike De Miguel during the challenge.
The attacker remained unresponsive on the turf while medics administered care. An ambulance subsequently transported him from Tenerife’s stadium to hospital. Footballers on either side showed clear signs of shock, and several colleagues of the injured striker wept.
Before halting the fixture, the referee dismissed Owono with a direct red. By Tuesday morning, the keeper’s Instagram following exceeded 30,000; he subsequently disabled his profile.
Six days of mourning and a supporters’ farewell
Outside the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez, the club’s home, visitors placed floral tributes and candles below a monochrome portrait of the striker. A Tuesday-evening announcement from Tenerife declared an official mourning period lasting six days, throughout which every club activity would cease.
The funeral is to be held in Navahermosa, Toledo, with the squad, employees and club representatives attending. On Saturday evening, the stadium will admit fans so they can offer an appropriate final farewell.
The announcement also conveyed the family’s heartfelt gratitude for the supportive messages received. His relatives requested privacy during their devastating bereavement and wished him eternal peace.
Supporters’ federation president Fran Leon described the news as tearing them apart, stressing that sorrow encompassed the entire island and the Canary Islands alike. Fan David Tejera said the player’s dedication and enthusiasm for Tenerife would live on, recognising his enduring place in the club’s blue-and-white heritage.
European competitions honour De Miguel
Before kick-off in Tuesday night’s Champions League games around Europe, those present observed sixty seconds of silence. Wednesday’s programme will include the same observance, alongside every Europa League and Conference League fixture taking place this week.
Following his two goals in Barcelona‘s victory against Aston Villa, Brazilian attacker Raphinha declined to discuss the sporting action. Instead, he offered condolences to Jesus’s relatives, wished the deceased peace and conveyed the club’s encouragement to the bereaved family.
At a media briefing, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta characterised what happened as profoundly distressing. The Spaniard said he could find no adequate language to describe a fellow professional dying in those circumstances.
Investigation and concern for Owono
According to Reuters, Spanish police began investigating potential involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday after the death. Spain’s legal framework requires a judicial examination whenever a fatality is considered to have an unnatural cause.
Speaking to EFE, Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s chief prosecutor Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui indicated that a criminal prosecution remained highly improbable.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho voiced his grief while acknowledging the exceptionally difficult circumstances facing Owono. He explained that an event capable of shocking society more broadly carried particular weight for football and for professionals accustomed to competing on the field daily.
Mourinho described the situation as painful and sorrowful, directing his sympathy and thoughts to the deceased footballer’s friends and relatives. He also emphasised how extraordinarily hard the experience must be for the other participant, Owono, and said the sadness affected everybody.
Career journey and tributes from Ronaldo, Messi and Nadal
Having arrived from Castellon during summer 2025, De Miguel had spent slightly more than one season with Tenerife and contributed to their promotion into the second tier. His footballing beginnings came in the youth ranks at Leganes, on Madrid’s outskirts. Several subsequent clubs, among them Unionistas de Salamanca, preceded his move to Castellon in 2023.
Instagram messages also came from retired Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Inter Miami attacker Messi expressed speechless sorrow, offered condolences and wished the player’s friends and relatives strength.
Nadal described deeply felt, overwhelming sadness at the loss. Cristiano Ronaldo called the death a tragedy beyond words, offered encouragement to the family and wished De Miguel peace in rest.
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, an Andorra co-owner, expressed his most heartfelt regret and wished Jesus eternal rest.
Team-mates recall kindness, friendship and shared routines
The striker’s Tenerife colleagues shared their own remembrances online. Midfielder Juanjo Sanchez recalled how each had found a place in the other’s heart, their daily laughter and barefoot walks following training sessions.
Sanchez also emphasised his friend’s outstanding personal qualities: even when confronting difficulties, he never addressed anyone unkindly or greeted them with an unpleasant expression, and his behaviour remained exemplary. He pledged to keep his friend’s presence with him always.
Fellow striker Enric Gallego wrote emotionally that few people he had encountered matched De Miguel’s goodness. He thanked him for their shared experiences, fellowship, personality, compassion and consistently exemplary outlook. Having occupied the same dressing room felt like a privilege, he added, and the absence would be deeply felt.
Attacker Fran Sabina said neither explanations nor language could make such a loss comprehensible. De Miguel had held an important place in his life; their unforgettable experiences, conversations, laughter and stories would now remain treasured memories. Sabina thanked his friend for every shared occasion, the affection and especially their genuine friendship, stressing that their mutual regard could be erased neither by passing time nor by his absence.
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