UEFA will not play the Champions League anthem before Tuesday night’s matches in Spain, a protocol change ordered to honor the victims of the Urda train accident and Jesús de Miguel, the CD Tenerife striker who died hours after a violent on-field collision, rfi.fr reported.
The anthem was omitted ahead of Atlético Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, Villarreal vs. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona vs. Aston Villa. In its place, a minute of silence for de Miguel was observed in all three stadiums — and before six other matches played across Europe the same day.
How the Night Unfolded, From Monday’s Collision to Tuesday’s Silence
The sequence began Monday night, when de Miguel, an attacker for second-division CD Tenerife, was hospitalized after a heavy collision with the opposing goalkeeper during a match. Hours later, early Tuesday morning, the club announced his death, according to rfi.fr.
By Tuesday evening, the tribute had scaled from Spanish football’s lower divisions to Europe’s biggest club competition. UEFA officialized the decision to stand down the anthem in the affected Spanish venues, and Villarreal CF relayed the measure to its supporters, paris-supporters.fr reported. The club’s announcement described silence replacing the anthem that normally fills the stands before Champions League fixtures.
Paris Saint-Germain, whose match at Villarreal was among those affected, was not involved on the pitch in the tribute decision itself, but paris-supporters.fr noted that the Paris club and its supporter community joined the moment of remembrance, extending thoughts to the families of the victims and to Spain.
Who Jesús de Miguel Alameda Was, and What the Sources Confirm
The player’s full name, Jesús de Miguel Alameda, appears in paris-supporters.fr’s report. He played as a forward for CD Tenerife, a club in Spain’s second division, and his death was announced by the club on Tuesday morning following Monday night’s match.
The sources describe the cause as a violent shock with the opposing goalkeeper during play.
Where the Tribute Stood on Matchday
Across the three Spanish stadiums hosting Champions League fixtures Tuesday, the usual pre-match anthem was replaced by silence, while the minute of silence for de Miguel was observed in all three venues. The same minute of silence preceded six additional matches played that day, bringing the total to nine fixtures marked by the tribute, rfi.fr reported.
What remains unanswered is the full account of the collision that hospitalized de Miguel on Monday night and led to his death; the sources confirm the sequence and the tributes but do not detail the play itself or any disciplinary review of the incident.
