Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono is "deeply affected" by the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, who died after suffering a serious injury in a collision with Owono during a Spanish second-division match on Monday. Owono "would never intentionally hurt anyone," his Andorra teammate Lautaro Spatz said on Wednesday.
The football world has paid tribute to De Miguel, a father-of-one who joined Tenerife in the summer of 2025. A minute's silence is being observed at all European games this week.
Spatz wrote on social media that Owono was devastated by the incident. "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," Spatz stated. "In football, unfortunate incidents can happen but no-one could imagine that one of them might end with such tragic consequences."
The collision occurred seven minutes into stoppage time when Tenerife and Andorra were drawing 2-2. Owono ran towards the center circle to clear a long ball, and his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel. Medical staff treated the striker on the pitch before he was taken to the hospital. Owono was sent off and the match was abandoned.
Owono, who has over 30,000 followers on Instagram, has since deactivated his account. Police in Spain have opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, a standard procedure under Spanish law for non-natural deaths.
The Equatoguinean Football Federation, for which the 25-year-old Owono has made 47 international appearances, said he was going through a "situation of profound sorrow and grief."
Tenerife has begun six official days of mourning, suspending all club activities. Players, staff, and officials will attend De Miguel's funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo. The club will also open its home ground on Saturday evening to allow supporters to bid farewell to De Miguel. The club stated that De Miguel's family has thanked everyone for their messages of support and asked for privacy during this time.