Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel dies after collision with goalkeeper in match
Jesus de Miguel, a forward for Spanish second-division club Tenerife, has died after a heavy collision with the opposing goalkeeper in a match against Andorra. The football world marked his death with minutes of silence at Champions League games.
Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel died on Tuesday, a day after a heavy collision in a Spanish second-division match against FC Andorra. His death prompted tributes across football, and his memory was honoured at European club competitions.
What happened on the pitch
On Monday, Tenerife and Andorra were level at 2-2 seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred. Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear a long ball, and his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel. The striker lay motionless while medical staff treated him, and he was taken to hospital by ambulance. His condition was described as stable but serious on Monday, but it worsened on Tuesday morning and he died at 07:00 GMT. The referee showed Owono a straight red card and abandoned the match.
Investigation
Reuters reported that police in Spain have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. Under Spanish law, any death deemed non-natural automatically triggers a judicial inquiry. Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui told the news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were very unlikely.
Tributes
A minute's silence was held before Tuesday's Champions League matches across Europe, and it will be repeated on Wednesday and at all Europa League and Conference League games this week. Mourners left flowers and candles at Tenerife's stadium. The club declared six official days of mourning, suspending all activities, and will open its ground on Saturday evening so supporters can say farewell. The funeral will be held in Navahermosa, Toledo.
De Miguel had been at Tenerife for just over a season, having joined from Castellon in the summer of 2025, and helped the team win promotion to the second division. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal and Andorra co-owner Gerard Pique were among those who expressed condolences.
