SPANISH football club, CD Tenerife, has announced the death of its striker, 30-year-old Jesús de Miguel, a day after he suffered a cardiac arrest following on-pitch collision with Andorra goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, during a Segunda División league match.
Tenerife and Andorra were tied 2-2 seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred.
Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel.
The referee showed Owono a straight red card before abandoning the match.
The goalkeeper, who had over 30,000 followers on Instagram, on Tuesday morning, has since deactivated his account.
The striker lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s ground to hospital.
Players from both teams were visibly distressed by the incident, with a number of De Miguel’s team-mates in tears.
The match was subsequently abandoned as players from both teams immediately called for medical assistance.
Medical personnel attended to De Miguel on the pitch for over five minutes before he was transported to a hospital by ambulance.
Despite the medical intervention, the striker died on Tuesday, November 3, prompting emotional messages and tributes from football clubs, players and officials across Spain.
Tenerife confirmed his passing in an emotional statement, expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
Overnight from Monday into Tuesday, the club released a medical update on the player’s condition, confirming a deterioration in his neurological state.
Miguel was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and intubated after the heavy collision and was in cardiac arrest for nearly 20 minutes, required cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the way to the hospital where he was treated.
The Spanish Football Federation also postponed all matches scheduled for Tuesday as a mark of respect, while UEFA announced that a minute of silence would be observed before European fixtures this week.
Before Spanish club, Villareal’s fixture against Paris St-Germain (PSG), fans held up a sign that read ‘DEP,’ which translates to descanse en paz, or rest in peace in English.
A minute’s silence held before Tuesday evening’s Champions League matches across Europe will be repeated for Wednesday’s fixtures, as well as all Europa League and Conference League matches this week.
Mourners laid flowers and lit candles beneath a black and white image of De Miguel at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez, Tenerife’s home ground.
Tenerife said in a statement on Tuesday evening they will commence six official days of mourning, with all club activities suspended during this time.
The club’s players, staff and officials will attend De Miguel’s funeral, which will take place in Navahermosa, Toledo.
Tenerife will also open their home ground on Saturday evening to allow supporters to “bid a fitting farewell.
“Jesus de Miguel’s family would like to thank everyone for their messages of support and, from the bottom of their hearts, ask that their privacy be respected at this terrible time.”
“May he rest in peace,” added the statement.
Miguel joined Tenerife in 2025 on a three-year deal.
“We are torn by the news,” said Fran Leon, president of Tenerife’s federation of supporters’ clubs.
“All of the island is in mourning. All of Canarias is in mourning. It’s a shared pain.”
Fan, David Tejera, said Miguel’s “effort” and “passion” for Tenerife would endure.
“You are already part of the blue and white history,” he said.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Police in Spain have opened an investigation for possible involuntary manslaughter following Miguel’s death.
Under Spanish law, any death that is deemed non-natural automatically triggers a judicial inquiry.
However, Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor, Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui, told Spanish news agency, EFE, that criminal proceedings were “very unlikely.”
De Miguel was born in Madrid in 1996 and joined Tenerife from Castellón ahead of the 2025/26 season. He scored 11 goals last season.
