Spanish police have opened an investigation into the death of CD Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel, who died Tuesday morning after suffering cardiac arrest from a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second-division match in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ABC7 reported. The 30-year-old Madrid-born striker collapsed near midfield in stoppage time Monday and was pronounced dead at 8 a.m. the following day, hours after his club said his condition had “worsened neurologically.”
Under Spanish law, any death from non-natural causes — including accidents — requires a judicial investigation, and the National Police confirmed Tuesday that one had been opened into possible negligent homicide. Still, the chief prosecutor in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, told the Spanish news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were unlikely because the collision occurred during play.
The Collision in Stoppage Time at Heliodoro Rodríguez López
The incident came in the 96th minute of Monday’s Segunda División match between Tenerife and FC Andorra at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with the score tied 2-2. Owono, the 25-year-old Equatorial Guinean goalkeeper, sprinted out of his area to midfield to challenge De Miguel for a long ball. According to the match report, Owono struck De Miguel in the chest with a raised leg at full speed; the referee, Manuel Ángel Pérez Hernández, sent Owono off with a straight red card and suspended the match.
De Miguel initially dropped to his knees, clutching his torso, before falling backward. Players from both teams rushed to his side, and Owono turned back from the touchline to join them. Medical staff performed CPR, and De Miguel’s pulse was restored in the ambulance en route to the hospital, Tenerife said in a statement. The club later announced his death.
In his official match report, quoted by El País, Pérez Hernández wrote that Owono was expelled for “impacting brutally with his leg raised against an opponent with excessive force while the ball was in dispute” — wording that matters because it establishes the challenge occurred with the ball in play, a point both the sporting disciplinary committee and any judicial review will weigh.
A Judicial Probe With No Precedent in Spanish Football
El País reported that the case now sits on two tracks: the sporting one, where experts consulted by the newspaper said Owono faces the maximum possible sanction of 12 matches, with a decision expected as early as Wednesday; and the judicial one, where the paper noted there is no precedent in Spain of a footballer being prosecuted for an accidental collision in a contact sport, however hard the challenge.
Footage shows the moment Spanish footballer Jesus de Miguel is involved in an on-pitch collision during a second-division match. He has died a day later, his club, CD Tenerife, confirms. pic.twitter.com/DcuzqEf4kG
The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands explained that every non-natural death — what Spanish law calls a “judicial death” — automatically triggers an investigation, and sources in the National Police’s homicide unit confirmed that is what happened here. Sánchez-Jáuregui’s assessment to EFE that a criminal case was improbable because the crash happened during the match aligns with that lack of precedent.
FC Andorra president Ferran Vilaseca told reporters Tuesday that the squad, coaching staff and everyone at the club were “devastated,” and that Owono — who arrived in Spain’s Basque Country at age 8 — did not intend to hurt anyone. “There was no intention,” club sources told El País. Owono has since deactivated his Instagram account, which had nearly 30,000 followers, after receiving a wave of hateful comments.
A Same-Surname Player Targeted With Racist Abuse
Michel Owono, an unrelated player for sixth-division club Can Vidalet, reported a surge of racist insults from people who mistakenly believed he was the Andorra goalkeeper, according to ABC7.
Tenerife Mourns a Madrid-Born Forward
De Miguel made his professional debut in 2015 with Leganés B and played for several lower-division Spanish clubs before joining Tenerife last season. Spanish media reported that he is survived by his wife and a daughter. No local media reports indicated any pre-existing health condition, and the precise medical cause of death was not immediately released.
Tenerife’s majority shareholder, Rayco García, said the player’s body would be transferred to Navahermosa in the province of Toledo at his family’s request, with teammates and club officials present for a “final farewell.” Fans are expected to gather Saturday at the stadium to pay tribute. Club president Felipe Miñambres said players and their families would likely need professional support to cope, adding that the club would also draw on its supporters, “because they will feel the same as we do today.”
Tenerife has asked LaLiga to postpone its Saturday league match at Granada, as well as its following fixture against Badajoz; Andorra has also requested the suspension of its Sunday home match against Mallorca.
Football Pauses Across Spain and Beyond
Andorra — owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué — issued a statement of sympathy, and Piqué wrote on X: “I’m sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace Jesús.” Real Madrid players held a minute of silence at training, and Espanyol postponed the presentation of its new coach. Manchester United and Liverpool posted condolences on social media. The Spanish football federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches and one Copa de la Reina match scheduled for Tuesday.
Tenerife’s own statement captured the mood: “There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that mitigates this feeling full of sadness. We stand with his devastated family, with his loved ones, with all of tinerfeñismo that today mourns this cruel outcome.”
From FC Barcelona, we deeply regret the tragic news of the passing of Jesús de Miguel, CD Tenerife player. Our thoughts and support are with his family, friends and loved ones during these difficult times.
Life-Threatening Collisions Are Extremely Rare in Football
Deaths from on-field collisions remain extremely rare in the sport, but they are not without precedent. Last year in Spain, 19-year-old fifth-division goalkeeper Raúl Ramírez of Colindres died after suffering head injuries in a collision; he endured two cardiorespiratory arrests — one on the pitch, one in the ambulance — and was declared brain dead two days later. In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun died from head injuries sustained in a collision while playing for CSKA Moscow. And in January 1987, Málaga goalkeeper José Antonio Gallardo died more than three weeks after a collision with Celta Vigo forward Baltazar in a second-division match — the same division in which De Miguel played.
Questions Readers Are Asking
Spanish law requires a judicial investigation into any death from non-natural causes, including accidents, and the National Police’s homicide unit confirmed the probe is standard procedure — not an accusation of crime.
Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel died on Tuesday at the age of 30, a day after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision during a match, the Spanish second-tier club said, Report informs via Reuters. "Racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to… pic.twitter.com/x76B6zhdXU”
Chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui told EFE a criminal case is unlikely because the collision happened during the match, and El País noted Spain has no precedent of prosecuting a player for an accidental on-field collision.
Tenerife asked LaLiga to postpone its Saturday match at Granada and its next game against Badajoz; Andorra asked to suspend its Sunday match against Mallorca. Fans will gather Saturday at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López to honor De Miguel.
The next confirmed checkpoint is Saturday, when Tenerife’s stadium opens for the fan tribute and when the disciplinary and postponement decisions are expected to land.
More on Jesús de Miguel
Málaga CF is deeply saddened by the passing of Jesús de Miguel, CD Tenerife player. We send our heartfelt condolences and all our love to his family and friends, teammates, the Club and the entire Tenerife community. Rest in peace, Jesús. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/RN0x261HNW
