Spanish police have launched an investigation into the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel following a cardiac arrest he suffered during a second-division match in Spain.
The 30-year-old forward died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after collapsing during his side’s encounter with FC Andorra on Monday.
De Miguel suffered the fatal incident in stoppage time after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who had rushed out of his penalty area to clear the ball but struck the striker in the chest.
Medical personnel immediately attended to the forward on the pitch before he was taken to hospital for further treatment.
The match was subsequently abandoned, while Owono received a red card for the challenge.
Tenerife initially disclosed that De Miguel was “stable, despite the severity of his condition”.
However, the club later announced that his neurological condition had worsened before confirming his death.
According to the Independent, Spain’s National Police confirmed on Tuesday that prosecutors would be involved in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities in the Canary Islands, however, described the investigation as a standard legal procedure, explaining that Spanish law requires a judicial inquiry whenever a death is classified as non-natural.
In a statement announcing his passing, Tenerife expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the striker.
“Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true, we at CD Tenerife announce the tragic passing of Jesus de Miguel Alameda. There are no words of comfort. There is absolutely nothing that can ease this overwhelming sense of sadness.”
Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, has reportedly deactivated his Instagram account following the incident.
FC Andorra also expressed sympathy with the late player’s family and Tenerife, saying, “With broken hearts, we want to send our most sincere condolences to the family of Jesus de Miguel, to all his teammates, friends, and to CD Tenerife. Rest in peace, Jesus.”
Several football clubs across Europe, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, paid tribute to the deceased striker.
English Premier League sides Manchester United and Liverpool also shared condolence messages on social media.
The global players’ union, FIFPRO, equally mourned De Miguel, describing his death as a painful loss to the football community.
“FIFPRO is deeply saddened by the passing of CD Tenerife player Jesus de Miguel. Our thoughts are with Jesus’ family, friends, teammates, everyone at CD Tenerife, and all those affected. Rest in peace, Jesus,” it said.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said he was shocked by the development and pledged the league’s support for Tenerife and the striker’s family.
Tebas also disclosed plans to discuss postponing Tenerife’s next fixture and organising a joint tribute with the Segunda Division.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also expressed grief over the incident, saying, “We are heartbroken by the death of Jesus de Miguel Alameda. We have searched for words and found only silence. In that silence, our hearts and thoughts are with his family, his teammates, everyone at Tenerife, and all those who mourn this tragic loss.”
UEFA subsequently announced that all matches across its competitions this week would begin with a minute of silence in honour of the late footballer.
The Spanish Football Federation also confirmed the postponement of Tuesday’s Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina fixtures as tributes continued to pour in.
De Miguel’s death is the latest in a series of tragic incidents involving footballers in Spain.
Last year, 19-year-old goalkeeper Raúl Ramírez of Colindres died from injuries sustained during a fifth-division match.
He suffered two cardiorespiratory arrests, one on the pitch and another inside the ambulance transporting him to hospital, before being declared brain dead two days later.
Similarly, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun died in 2001 after sustaining head injuries in a collision while playing for CSKA Moscow.
